


The Devil's Brew

by Peppo



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angel Dean Winchester, Author Castiel, Coffee Shops, Destiel - Freeform, Dry Humping, F/M, Fluff, Frottage, Grad Student Dean, Humor, Hunter Castiel, Idiots in Love, M/M, Masturbation, Sharing Clothes, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Spooning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-16
Updated: 2014-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-15 03:56:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 30,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/845018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peppo/pseuds/Peppo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"So a pretty boy with an angel's face walks in on your shift just as you were about to resort to begging god for salvation, and you pour coffee on him instead of getting his number? You've got mad game, don't you Dean-o?"</p>
<p>Dean Winchester is just a grad student working ridiculous hours at The Devil's Brew I'm order to make ends meet and hopefully not end up too far in debt. While pulling an all night shift, a man with tousled brown hair and the bluest eyes ever to blue walks in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Coffee-Flavored Wake Up Call

Dean leaned against the mostly empty glass pastry case, gnawing on a stale muffin and gripping his book as he tried to make sense of the words swimming before his eyes. The cafe was empty; the last customer had left around 1am. Dean glanced wearily at the clock hanging over the kitchen door-- Jesus, it was half past four. 

He swore vengeance upon whatever misfiring neural connection had led him to volunteer for this week's red-eye shift at The Devil's Brew. He never slept much anyway, so working the all-night shift had seemed like an easy way to get paid while not having to deal with anyone and working on his usual papers and assignments. Yet somewhat ironically, the warm heavy scent of coffee was slowly lulling him to sleep, wrapping around his senses like a warm nest of blankets...

Dean's head nodded; his nose just barely missed thumping into the dry textbook he had been scribbling notes in for the majority of his shift. He shook himself and stood up straight. His shift would be over soon, and what idiot would be coming in to bug him for coffee this early on a Saturday? May as well get the shop ready for the morning crew and save his book from getting drooled on. 

Dean wiped down the counters with renewed gusto and cranked up the radio. With luck Ruby would be on time and soon he could stumble back into the sweet embrace of of his mattress for a good three to four hours. Until then, noise and movement were his only hope of staying awake. He had just jumped up on the counter in order to update the daily special on the chalkboard when "Highway to Hell" began to play on the radio. He started bobbing his head along with the beat. 

* * *

"Um... Hello?" A rough voice broke through the music

Dean looked down, arms frozen in mid-air drum. On the other side of the counter, questioning blue eyes peeked up at him from beneath dark lashes and a quirked brow.

"What are you doing here?"

"Coffee?" The stranger ran his hand through his mess of brunette hair, obviously feeling a little self-conscious under Dean's slack-jawed scrutiny. 

Dean had never claimed to be a paragon of politeness, but in his defense, it was a little off-putting to have your counter-top drum solo interrupted by the bluest eyes ever to blue. _Fuck,_ he thought as he jumped down from the counter and turned down the music, _did I seriously just think that? I've got to get out of this place and get some sleep._ " I mean what can I do for you?" May as well be nice.

"A double red-eye, please?"

"Can do. Starting early are we?" Dean eyed the eye bags and stubble. 

"Finishing late, actually." He smiled slightly, eyes flicking up to meet Dean's. 

Dean winced slightly and grinned back. "Ouch. I'm right there with you, man. My shift started last night at 9." The stranger's eyes remained fixed on his, squinting slightly. They stared at each other, unblinking, for a few moments before Dean shook himself. "Right, double red-eye. That will be $2.50. What's your name?"

"Name?"

"To write on the cup, so I can call it out for you when I'm done." Dean moved fluidly to the coffee machine, leaving enough room in the cup for the espresso shots. "Come on, man, haven't you ever bought coffee before?" 

The man squinted more, if possible, before looking around the abandoned cafe as Dean flushed slightly, trying to mask his embarrassment in singleminded focus upon the coffee in his hand. 

"Could you be more obvious, Dean?" A female voice cut through the awkward silence. Dean jumped at he unexpected intrusion, slopping half of the coffee he held out of the cup. Most of it splashed on Dean's apron and  the counter, but from there it spilled down onto the customer's jeans and shoes. 

"Damnit, Ruby! help me out with this!" he turned away from the girl who was clearly trying to stifle her laughter. "Dude, I'm sorry." Dean handed the brunette a clean towel from behind the counter. "The bathroom is over there, if you want to clean up a bit. If you still want that coffee, it's on the house."

He accepted the towel and disappeared into the bathroom without a word, while Ruby hopped up on the counter to watch Dean clean up the mess. "Sorry, Dean-o, but really? I mean, its a classic line, but asking for his name when the cafe is a total dead zone? Why don't you just call up his parents and tell them your intentions?"

"It wasn't s line, it's a habit," Dean grumbled. "I've been working all night, I'm basically running on autopilot."

"So a pretty boy with an angel's face walks in on your shift just as you were about to resort to begging god for salvation, and you pour coffee on him instead of getting his number? You've got mad game, don't you Dean?"

Dean rolled his eyes and lobbed his coffee-soaked rag at Ruby's head. "I wasn't begging for crap. And not all of us fall in love with every guy who walks through that door."

"True." Ruby stroked her chin in mock thought. "Very true. But my awesome and totally respectable love life aside, you didn't deny that he's a pretty-faced angel boy."

"Son of a bitch." 

"You know I love when you sweet talk me." She winked at Dean, who rolled his eyes. "Now who do I have to kill to get an espresso from my favorite barista?" She batted her thick dark lashes at Dean. He was always far too susceptible to her 'innocent' face, no matter how fake he knew it was. 

"You are a demon." He roughly tousled her dark hair and set about tamping down the beans.

"Yeah, but you kinda like it." She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek before accepting the small mug and sipping it slowly.

"Yeah, yeah. Now go get your damn apron on so I can go home pass out."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at Dean before glancing over his shoulder. "Just as well. You've got company!"

Dean turned as she fled into the kitchen and saw Blue Eyes standing awkwardly at the pickup counter. Dean grinned apologetically and tried not to wonder how much he had overheard.  "Hey man! I'm sorry for the coffee-flavored wake up call. It didn't burn you, did it?"

"I am fine. And a coffee-flavored wake up call is just what I was looking for, actually." His lips quirked as he looked at Dean. "Maybe aim this one towards my face instead?"

"Very funny." Dean turned and poured coffee into a fresh cup and tamped down the espresso beans. He pondered for a second before meeting the blue eyes once more "And I'm still going to need that name." He ignored the loud snort he heard coming from the kitchen and smiled "Store policy, after all."

"It's Cas," he said finally. 

"Cas?"

"Well, Castiel." He shifted uncomfortably. 

"Like the angel?"

Cas' eyes widened slightly. "Yes, actually."

Dean popped a lid and sleeve on the cardboard cup, and handed it carefully over the counter. "One on-the-house double red-eye for Cas," he said with a smile. "Try not to OD. I'm Dean, by the way."

"Sure thing. See you around Dean." 

Ruby emerged from the kitchen as soon as he was gone, her dark hair tied back into a bun and her dirty red apron fastened around her waist. "While I may disagree with your approach, I must commend your dedication to that line."

"Shut up, Ruby." Dean untied his apron and moved toward the kitchen.  

"No seriously. I have heard a million bad lines in my life, but it is a rare creature who will repeat one over and over again until it works. I'm sure Cas knows that you're a keeper!" She called after him, ignoring the middle finger he let fly before the kitchen door swung shut behind him. Chuckling to herself, she glanced over at the tip jar and saw that Cas had stuffed a small handful of ones inside.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oddly enough, at 23 this is my first time writing fanficion. I'm horrifically out of practice in creative writing and trying to get back into it, thus practicing with fanfic at first. Anyway, I love coffee shop au's, and I love Dean and Cas, so I figured I would start a slow build fic about the two of them. I hope you people like it, even though this first chapter is pretty cliche. There are only so many ways that people can meet in a coffee shop, am I right?  
> Anyhow, I have no real idea where this is going, but the boys have met now and we all know that love will be in the air eventually and it will be fluffy and adorable. Maybe even sexy. Who knows. Some eventual Ruby/Sam is definitely in the works, though.


	2. "I Gave Him a Muffin..."

Dean was on day two of five straight night shifts. Seven and a half hours in, he had finished researching for two presentations and had given up editing his paper about two hours ago. In his experience, there was a stage of exhaustion that inspired great academic genius and fantastic creative thought. But Dean was about three stages past that, and was currently only capable of draping himself over the pastry case in strange positions, attempting to crack his back or stretch cramping muscles. No one said it was a sane way to conduct himself, but at least he wasn't doing any schoolwork in this state. 

Dean heard the bell over the door and looked up. His confusion and exhaustion-induced rage at being forced to stand up straight and actually work was tempered as he recognized the dark disheveled head of hair peeking through the door. 

"Cas! Hey man, you're back! Just can't resist my beans, eh?"

Cas's lips twitched as he let the door close behind him. "No one else is open half-past four." He lingered by the door, about ten feet away from the counter where Dean  stood ready to take his order. His lips twitched again at Dean's confused look and he broke eye contact to look down at his shoes. "Just trying to stay out of the splash zone."

"You're a freaking comedian, you know that? Now get the hell over here and order some damn coffee." Dean tried to sound stern, but chuckling rather undermined the effect. 

As Cas moved closer, Dean could see that he looked less tired than the previous night. While his cheeks were still covered in a fuzzy layer of stubble, the hollow rings surrounding those blue eyes were much fainter, and his clothes less rumpled. Still, his eyes had that glassy faraway look that Dean recognized from looking in the mirror every day: the guy needed coffee.

"A double red-eye, please?"

"Again? Your brain is going to shrivel up and die, you know," Dean griped as he moved to prepare the order. "That'll be $2.50, by the way."

Cas plopped his backpack on the counter and fished out his beat up leather wallet. Dean spotted a few old tattered novels and notebooks, as well as a handful of nubby pencils before Cas did the zips back up and slid a five across the counter.  "How are you so energetic at this time of the morning?" He growled. 

"Years of practice," Dean beamed, even as his inner monologue screamed at him, _You fucking liar. How the hell are you even standing right now? Do you think his hair is a fluffy as it looks?_ "Anyway," Dean shook himself, "sleep is for the weak." He took care as he poured the espresso into the coffee, keeping one eye on the door just in case Ruby decided to pop in early again and cause more mayhem. He managed to pop a lid on the cup without mishap and slid it across the counter, scooping up Cas's cash and moving aside to the register to get his change. "What's got you up this early, anyhow?"

Cas didn't answer, and likely didn't even hear. Dean glanced over and caught him staring into space somewhere in the general vicinity of Dean's neck. "Cas... Castiel? Eyes are up here, buddy." He waved his hand in front of Cas's face. 

Cas blinked. "I know! I mean, what?"

Dean chuckled as he placed Cas's change in his hand and nudged his coffee closer. "I think you almost passed out on me for a second there. Drink up."

Cas smiled, dumping his handful of change into the tip jar before grabbing his coffee and retreating to the worn leather couch at the back of the cafe. For the last half hour of Dean's shift, they shared the space in easy silence. Cas curled up on the couch, scribbling into his notebook and occasionally taking a break to stare off into space and sip his coffee, while Dean bustled back and forth wiping down the counters and cleaning the equipment. Despite the work, Dean kept catching himself glancing over at the thoughtful crease between Cas's eyebrows and the way he gnawed on his pencil's pink eraser. 

"Eat something."

Cas looked up, surprised. He hasn't even noticed Dean approach. 

"Seriously, Cas." Dean set down a plate holding a poppyseed muffin. "It ain't fresh, but if you keep caffeinating on zero food, you are going to puke. I'd really rather not clean that."

Cas's fingers inched towards the plate. "How much do I owe you?"

"Don't worry about it. Night shift eats for free, since we have to throw leftovers out anyway. Besides, you've been tipping me well enough." Dean smiled wider as Cas flushed.

The bell above the door sounded as Ruby rushed into the cafe. "I know. I'm late. I'm here. Calm down." She was halfway to the kitchen before realizing that Dean wasn't behind the counter. She paused in the middle of her panicked tirade and slowly examined the cafe, finally spotting Dean and Cas nestled away in the back. She grinned and hurried back into the kitchen without another word. 

"Uh... Thats's Ruby." Dean sighed and scratched awkwardly at the back of his neck. 

"Is she always like that?"

"Pretty much."

"Well um... Thanks for the muffin." Cas smiled up at Dean and started peeling back the muffin paper. 

"No problem, Cas." Dean hovered awkwardly for a moment. "Well, I should go clock out." He waved and hurried back to the kitchen. 

Ruby was waiting for him, leaving up against the sink with a smirk plastered on her face. "So how was work, kiddo? Make any new friends?"

"Shut up, Ruby." Dean sighed as he retrieved his book-bag and keys from the break room.

"Come on! Details!"

"I dunno. He comes in and orders a double red-eye."

"Seriously Dean? Two nights in a row Scruffy McBlue-Eyes out there comes in for a taste of your sweet, sweet coffee and all you're giving him is caffeine?"

"I gave him a muffin..." Dean trailed off as he walked out of the kitchen and Cas was nowhere to be found. 

* * *

 

This pattern continued for the next few days. Just as Dean reached the embarrassing side of sleep deprivation, Cas would show up to order excessively caffeinated coffee and leave abnormally large tips. Dean continued to pawn leftover pastries off on him while he scribbled away in his notebooks and Cas would disappear as soon as Dean ducked into the kitchen at the end of his shift. 

By Wednesday morning Dean was expecting Cas, and stared on his order as soon as he walked in. "Morning, Cas! $2.50 as usual."

"Dean, you've got to let me pay for the muffins at some point," Cas argued weakly as he fished his wallet out. 

"What muffins?" Dean grinned and placed two pastries on a plate for Cas. "Be warned, the more you argue the more you get."

Cas raised his hands in surrender and handed Dean a five. "In that case, you know what to do with the change." He smirked and moved further into the cafe. 

"Sneaky bastard," Dean chuckled to himself, tipping the change into the tip jar before finishing up Cas's order and carrying it over to his couch. _Christ, Dean, he's only been coming for five days. He can't have a couch already._

He smiled up at Dean in a silent thanks before burying his nose back in his notebook. Minutes passed while Cas scratched out a few lines, replacing them with more acceptable phrasing and gnawing again on his pencil's battered pink eraser. 

"I can get you another croissant if you are that hungry." Cas jumped as Dean interrupted the silence and plopped down on the couch beside him. 

"Hi?" Cas was confused at the break in routine.

Dean smiled and sipped from his own mug, never breaking eye contact. "Hi. I'm on break. What are you always working on over here?"

Cas reflexively covered his notebook. "But you never take breaks."

"Please, this entire shift is a break. I just figured I might as well get comfy for it and get some work done." As if to prove his point, he plopped his dictionary and notebook down on the table.

Cas eyed him suspiciously for a moment, before glancing back at his work. Dean smiled to himself and stared flipping through his dictionary. It was actually kind of nice working next to Cas. The man seemed to radiate heat. _He smells like watermelon and cinnamon. How the hell does someone manage to smell like watermelon and cinnamon?_ Dean tried to ignore that overly observant part of his brain and focus.

About five minutes later, Dean noticed that Cas's pencil had stopped moving and he could feel his eyes on him. He glanced over and found his own eyes staring into a sea of blue. 

"Latin?" Cas asked. 

"Oh, so we can talk about my work?" Cas flushed again and Dean mentally high-fived himself. "Yeah Latin. I'm doing grad work in Classics right now."

Cas's eyes lit up. "Really? What can you tell me about Venus and Adonis? Or Echo? Do you think the sirens were really beautiful women, or could they embody anything that their prey most desired? What about-"

"Woah there, cowboy." Dean laughed. "I'm going to need to write some of this down. Usually people just assume that 'The Classics' are Beethoven or Mozart, to which I usually argue Zeppelin and The Stones. So I really didn't expect this sort of Spanish Inquisition."

Cas smiled. "First of all, nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. And I'm actually sort of a writer." He shifted uncomfortably, absently tearing small chunks of eraser off his pencil. 

"A Python fan! Good on you. So what are you working on now, some kind of grand classical romance?"

"Not exactly..." 

"Fine, fine." Dean feigned surrender and turned back to his dictionary. "The artist doesn't want to discuss his method. You've got to let me read it when it's done, though."

Cas darted a glance at Dean out of the corner of his eye and smiled. "I don't know if the mighty scholar would be interested in my books."

"Books? So you are published?" Cas didn't answer, just continued to smile enigmatically down at his notebook and picked back up his pencil. Dean stared at him, chewing at his lip in thought while Cas studiously ignored his gaze. "I propose a trade of information. I answer any mythology or translation questions you can throw at me, and you give me your pen name."

"How did you I have a pen name?"

Dean smirked in triumph. "You just told me. Besides, I haven't seen any Castiels making headlines with their bookish prowess. What do you say?"

"Well..."

"Come on, Cas! This is a once and a lifetime deal! One little name for free and limitless research."

"I'll think about it, okay?" 

"And I'll be ready to google you." Dean chuckled into his coffee while Cas glared at him. 

"What makes you think I'm actually going to-"

Ruby barged into the cafe, late and panicked as usual. "Yes, I'm an hour late. Yes, you get overtime, but Nick is going to skin me _and_ you if you don't go clock out _right now._ Go, go, go. Hi Cas." And in a flurry of hastily removed jackets and scarves, she had moved behind the counter and was gone. 

Cas was used to this frenzied greeting and simply laughed, while Dean sighed and lugged himself off the couch. "I don't know why he even gives her the morning shift." He pointed dramatically at Cas and gathered up their empty mugs. "I'll be right back. This discussion is not over."

He met Ruby by the staff lockers after punching out his time card. "Not that I don't mind the extra cash, but an hour late? Really? You could have called."

"I did, actually, and so did Nick. Apparently you were a bit too busy getting cozy on the couch to answer. Really living up your last night out there with Cassie, huh?" She nudged Dean playfully with her elbow.

_Crap._ Dean shoved his apron into his locker and hoisted his bag over his shoulder before rushing back into the cafe. _Crap, crap, crap._ But as usual, Cas had left while he was clocking out, leaving nothing but a crumb-covered plate behind. 

Ruby poked her head out of the kitchen door, hands busy tying on her apron. "Didn't you tell angel-face that you aren't working nights anymore?"

Dean forced a smile. "Nah. He's just a customer, you know?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely do Dean's 'stand in weird positions while sleep deprived because every part of my body hurts' thing. Hell, I think half the reason I love coffee-shop au's so much is because I never fucking sleep and coffee is life. 
> 
> Anyway, our little Cas and Dean are getting closer and learning more about each other. But Dean isn't working nights anymore! HOW WILL THEY FIND LOVE? Yeah, they are going to be fine. Also, we'll be meeting Nick pretty soon, and learning about Cas's books. I hope you all enjoy! I'm having a lot of fun working on this.


	3. Freaky Morning Joggers

Thursday morning found Dean awake and staring at the ceiling before sunrise. Nothing quite like five all-nighters in a row to utterly destroy a healthy sleep pattern. _But it's my day off, damnit._ He groaned and rolled out of bed, trying to ignore the fact that it was five in the morning. _Five in the fucking morning._

_I suppose it's okay,_ he thought as he relaxed in the warmth of his shower. _I still have thirty lines to translate for class. Fucking Greek._ He toweled off quickly, shivering in the cool air, and walked back to his room. He glared at the first rays of sun which were beginning to peek in his window and at his workout clothes which seemed to judge him from their pile in the corner. Sam might like starting his day with a run up the ass-crack of dawn, but Dean needed coffee. After pulling on his cleanest (or least dirty) pair of jeans and favorite flannel shirt, he tossed a few books in his bag and headed out the door. 

It was nearly six by the time Dean walked in the door of The Devil's Brew. He tried not to sigh at the bustle of peppy college students who were lined up, jonesing for their first caffeine hit of the day. _People with this much energy don't need coffee._ He scowled at the floor, trying to prevent himself from searching the cafe for a familiar tousled head of hair. _He's never here this late. Now stop being such a girl and order your damn coffee._

"Well if it isn't Dean Winchester. A mocha as usual, or are you going to actually drink coffee like a man?"

Dean rolled his eyes and smirked at the man on the other side of the counter. Nick was tall, about the same height as Dean and in his mid-thirties. He was the owner and devil responsible for The Devil's Brew "Satan! Fancy meeting you here. And what have I told you about berating customers?"

"A customer, huh? So you are actually going to pay for your drink today?"

Dean winced. "In that case, yes I would like my sissy coffee, with a side of whatever extra abuse you can offer. I thought Ruby was on morning shift today?"

"Don't mention that name to me." Nick scowled as he prepared Dean's chocolatey drink, judging by the bags under his eyes he was in the middle of an unplanned double shift. 

Not many employers would put up with Ruby's perpetual tardiness, but then not all people would hire their sister. Ruby and Nick didn't look much like siblings, with Ruby's small stature and dark waves of hair contrasting Nick's sandy-brown hair and imperious height, but anyone who had been on the receiving end of their sarcasm and judgmentally quirked eyebrows could immediately spot the resemblance. Dean had always found it hilarious how much of a pushover grumpy old Nick was around his little sister. He might threaten and scowl in order to preserve his reputation, but but after their dad had run off when Ruby was 15 Nick had taken her in and grown fiercely protective. 

"Let me guess... Totally forgot about an assignment?"

"That's my Ruby. She was here for about ten minutes before remembering." Nick smiled fondly as he slid Dean's drink across the counter. "I didn't even have time to clock out. Now move before I make you take over."

Dean snatched his mocha off the counter and retreated to the couch in the back ( _Cas's couch_ , the annoying little voice in his brain supplied). Time to do some last-minute homework.

He woke up some time later, curled around his Greek dictionary. He looked around he cafe, eyes bleary, and wondered why the morning rush had died down so early. While stretching, he caught a glance at the clock over the register. 

"Son of a bitch." Dean jumped to his feet and started shoving his books into his bag. He had managed to finish about half of his assigned lines before his impromptu nap, but he could just hide out in the back and volunteer to translate early. The more pressing matter was Latin starting in 15 minutes. 

"Hey Sleeping Beauty!" Nick called to him as he made a break for the door, ignoring the pack of giggly sophomores who were in line to order. When Dean reluctantly approached the counter, Nick held up a small scrap of paper. "I forgot to tell you, but a bit before you got here some scruffy-looking kid asked me to give this to you. I don't see what the big deal is, but Ruby threatened to bite me if I didn't deliver it." 

"Scruffy?" Dean's mouth went dry and he tried not to snatch the scrap out of Nick's hands. The thought _don't get your hopes up, Dean_ was battling with a mighty mental rendition of Eye of the Tiger while he carefully tucked the scrap into his bag. He was already running late and rushed off to class without reading it. 

\---

Latin was over and Dean was halfway through Greek when one of his classmates began to argue with the professor about translation. Dative of means, dative of reference, dative of military accompaniment: it was Greek and Dean couldn't be bothered to give any more shits than it would take to earn him an A. Thucydides was a great big bag of dicks anyway, so his mind wandered to the jagged scrap of torn-out notebook paper that was currently in his bag.

Dean glanced sidelong at his classmates. Anna and Crowley were making faces at each other across the room, while Michael continued to cheerfully bicker with the professor. Everyone else was staring down at their notebooks or glancing furtively at the clock. No one would notice or care if Dean started rooting around in his bag. 

He located the scrap and unfolded it. There were a few lines in Cas's methodical yet scratchy handwriting. _I had to pay for my muffin_. And it was signed, _Carver Edlund (Cas)._ At the bottom of the note was scribbled a phone number. 

\---

Carver Edlund. Holy crap, Carver Edlund. That night Dean sat on the edge of his bed glancing back and forth from the paper in his hand to the line of books which bore the same name on his shelf. It was a fairly unknown series of books called Supernatural, and told the story of two brothers, roadtripping across the US, saving people and hunting things. Dean had fallen in love with the series when he was an undergrad.

He grabbed the most recent release off the shelf. Dean had been busy working, but one of his friends had attended a signing at a comic book store a few towns over and had bought the book as a gift. He flipped it open, and sure enough, on the inside cover was the same handwriting. _Happy birthday, Dean. Carver Edlund._

Dean shook his head and programmed the number into his phone, opening a blank text form. _Supernatural, huh? The contract is sealed. I am now your free research monkey._ He stared at the text for a few minutes, hoping it seemed casual enough, before pressing send and tossing the phone on his bed. Barely five minutes had passed before he caught himself glancing over at it, fingers itching to check his messages. _Don't geek out,_ he thought, and grabbed his laptop to go study in the kitchen. No way in hell he was going to let himself check his phone every two seconds like a teenage girl. Separation was the only solution. 

Around midnight when he finally collapsed into bed, he felt a hard lump digging into his stomach. He dug his phone out from under him and saw one new message in his inbox. 

_I'm stuck. Are you busy?_

Dean looked at the time stamp. It has been sent about two hours previous. _Sorry Cas, I was being scholarly. What can I do for you?_

He was just about to drift off when his phone buzzed on the pillow next to him. _Mm sleepng. Busy tomrrow?_  

Dean smiled softly, but decided not to think about why the sleepy breakdown of Cas's spelling made him feel so warm.  _Nope. Call me when you wake up._

_\---_

"Dean?" An amused gravely voice rang in Dean's ear. 

"Mhm?"

"Wake up."

"'Mm not sleeping." 

"You just told me that my hair is a magical forest."

That got Dean's attention. He opened one eye and saw that he was burrowed deep in his nest of blankets and pillows, with his phone clutched tight against his ear. "Oh."

"Do you make a habit of answering the phone while sleeping?"

"I also sleepwalk." Dean yawned and started to sit up. "Answered the door once, buck-ass nude. Scared the hell out of some Mormons."

Cas cleared his throat, his voice slightly deeper when he answered. "At least it wasn't Girl Scouts?"

"Fair point. What time is it?" He asked, scratching at his stomach and settling deeper into his pillow. 

"Six."

"The hell are you doing up? It's sleep time. Go to sleep."

Dean could hear the confusion in Cas's voice. "You said to call when I woke up."

"I thought you would call around 9. Or, you know, noon."

"We met at 4am, Dean. You are the one defying expectation here."

"Oh god," Dean groaned. "You're a morning jogger, aren't you?"

"I don't see what that has to do with-"

"Nevermind. What can I do for you on this disgustingly early morning?"

"Well," Cas sighed. "I'm stuck."

"Stuck?"

"Like writer's block." Cas sounded embarrassed. "I'm hoping some research will help, but I don't really know where to start."

_Writer's block_. Dean froze, suddenly wide awake. _Cas is a writer. Cas is Carver Edlund._ The events of he previous day came rushing back. "Research. Yeah. For Supernatural. Which you write." He fought to keep his voice at a normal volume.

"I mean, if that's still okay." Cas hesitated. "You don't have to, it's just that you said-"

Dean turned so he couldn't see Cas's books glaring at him from the bookshelf. "No, the deal is on. Let me take a shower and wake up properly. I can meet you anywhere but the cafe."

"There's a diner downtown called Biggersons?"

"I knew I liked you for a reason. Meet you in an hour?"

"Thanks, Dean."

"You're still a freaky morning person"

"Shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So plot stuff: Yes, I am making some changes to the canon, but I really like the idea of Lucifer as a loving brother. Sure, he was a great big bag of dicks in the show, but he did love his brothers in his own crazy way, so it's not that far out of character. Plus he and Ruby are an adorable little family. Also, Cas as Carver Edlund just made too much sense once I decided that he should be a writer consulting Dean for research. Plus, how cute will it be once he gets to know Dean well enough to start basing a character on him? 
> 
> Non-plot stuff: I am in the midst of moving out of my apartment, so I didn't expect I was going to be able to update for a few days. Lucky for you all, I was trapped on a bus to San Francisco for 6 hours and forgot my headphones, so I had to write in order not to die of boredom. I haven't started chapter 4 yet, but I've got some notes and ideas. Maybe update around Wednesday? Thanks for reading, I love you all!


	4. A Casual Breakfast Not-Date

Dean stood shirtless in front of the mirror looking lost as he took turns holding up t-shirts and flannels. What exactly do you wear to a casual breakfast date ( _this is not a date,_ he reminded himself) with a sort-of friend, who is secretly one of your favorite authors? He reached further back into his closet to grab yet another t-shirt. Of course, it was one that Becky had made for him, with a giant devil's trap painted on the front. _Best case scenario: he thinks I'm a satanist. Worst: a rabid fanboy._

An exasperated sigh escaped Dean's lips, and he tossed the shirt onto the growing pile on his bed. _Why does this time of day even exist._ His hand wearily traced the skin at the back of his neck as he examined his image in the mirror. His skin was paler than it ought to be, too many hours working and studying without any breaks to absorb some vitamin D. The thin layer of freckles which covered his nose continued over his shoulders and down his arms and chest. His sandy-brown hair was sticking up in odd directions, still damp from his shower.

He glared at his reflection while patting his hair down. _Clothes are fucking stupid. Screw this_. He knelt down and snatched the red flannel he had worn he day before out from where he had kicked it under the bed. _I'm gonna get some grub, and help a friend with some research. Normal Friday_. Shoving his keys in his pocket, he marched purposefully out the door, grabbing one of his brown leather coats off a hook by the door as he moved. 

* * *

 

Dean spotted Biggerson's on the next corner and slowed his gait. The swift walk from his apartment to the restaurant had cleared his mind, but now that he was here he could feel a small knot of anxiety once more curling in his stomach. He pulled out his phone to check the time. _Alright. 6:48. I'm early. Early is good. Early means coffee before conversation._ Dean shoved his anxiety to he side and strode through the door. 

The diner was more crowded than Dean had expected for a Friday morning. Students, professionals and retires were all crammed into their chairs, enjoying coffee, conversation and breakfast. Dean eyed the plates of pancakes and eggs, silently congratulating Cas on his restaurant choice. Stuff looked good enough to forgive the tacky red and yellow decor. 

The hostess was also decked in red, with a black suspenders and apron tied tight around her waist, her blonde hair twisted into a loose bun. Her plastered-on smile melted into something more genuine as she looked over Dean. "Good morning sir, welcome to Biggerson's. Table for one?"

Dean rolled his eyes and leaned casually against the counter. "Shut up."

She laughed merrily, earring a glare from one of her managers. "Christ, Dean, I haven't seen you, what, since we took that topography course with Singer? I didn't know you classicists left your caves this early."

"You history nerds would be nothing without us classicists."

"And humans would be nothing without apes. You can't let the past impede progress."

"Don't tell the university. We'll all lose funding." They traded the barbs with easy familiarity, a conversation that had rehashed many times. He smiled. "It's good to see you Jo."

She glanced at the line which was slowly building behind Dean and sighed. "We should get some beers soon, but seriously, do you want a table or not?"

Dean couldn't help glancing around the room for his breakfast partner, and did not initially realize she had asked him a question He decided to blame his distraction on excess sleepiness and moved coffee to the top of his priority list. "What? Oh, I'm actually meeting a friend. He's about my height? Stupid hair?" He held up a hand to demonstrate. 

Her lips quirked. "I don't know about stupid hair, but a customer with stupidly blue eyes is hiding back there sucking down coffee like he's on a mission from god."

"Super intense glare?" She nodded. "That would be him."

Jo smiled, but waved him impatiently out of the way while she got back to work. Dean picked his way around the tables before turning the corner in the long bar. His eyes immediately fell upon Cas, seated alone in the back section of the restaurant. As opposed to the loose jeans and close-fitting t-shirts he usually wore to the cafe, he was in a rumpled navy blue suit. His tie was knotted clumsily and a tan trench coat was tossed over the seat next to him. While the outfit was new, his brunette hair looked just as disheveled as usual, sticking up in every direction, and the table in front of him was strewn with notebooks and scraps of paper. His hand was curled protectively around a mug of coffee, as if simply holding it would speed the delivery of caffeine to his bloodstream. Sunlight was pouring through the window, catching Cas's profile and emphasizing the movement of his throat as he swallowed. Dean was practically salivating over the image and licked his lips. _The coffee._ He reminded himself, making his final approach. _I just really need some coffee._

"How long have you been here, Cas?" Dean dropped unceremoniously into the seat opposite of Cas, eyeing his mess of papers curiously. 

"I needed coffee. Good morning Dean." A small smile played at Cas's lips, briefly soothing away the line between his brows, and he piled all of his notebooks out of the way.

"You drag me up at the ass end of dawn and _you_ need coffee? Gimme." Without waiting for permission, Dean leaned across the table and plucked Cas's mug from his hands. He took a moment to absorb the aroma into his very skin before taking a deep gulp of the bitter drink and sighing dramatically. "Jesus, I'm a barista and I still love this shitty diner brew." He settled the mug back into Cas's hands, which had been hanging in the air since Dean had snatched the coffee away. 

Cas seemed momentarily frozen, staring at Dean for several long moments before glaring back down at the mug in his hands. 

"Um... I can grab you a new mug if you don't want-"

"It's fine," Cas cut Dean off and raised the mug to his lips, taking a small, hesitant sip. The soothing taste of coffee on his tongue softened the tension in his brow, but his gaze was no less intense. 

"You know, for a freaky morning person you don't seem to like mornings all that much."

Cas looked torn for a moment, as though debating whether or not to speak, before he sighed at rubbed at his eyes. The tension in his shoulders finally went slack; he slumped slightly in his seat. "I write better in the morning. Got used to the schedule. Now I'm awake whether I want to be or not."

"So no freaky morning jogging?" Dean's traitorous mind supplied an image of Cas with wind-burned cheeks and jogging shorts. _What the hell was that?_ He asked himself. 

"I don't understand your obsession with my jogging habits."

"You folks ready to order?" Their waitress smiled at them, pad and pencil ready to jot down their orders. Dean hadn't even noticed her approach, and had definitely forgotten to assess the needs of his stomach. 

Cas squinted at the menu while Dean fumbled with his own. "Yes, could I get the double cheeseburger and a basket of fries?"

"Um..." The waitress looked oddly at Cas. "We can do the burger but the frier isn't on yet.  Do you want some hash browns instead?

"Yes, thank you. That will do nicely." He set his menu back down on the table and looked over at Dean. "What?"

Dean realized he was staring, slack jawed with the menu laying open and forgotten in front of him. "It's seven in the morning."

"I'm well aware of the time, Dean." Cas's blue eyes seemed to bore into Dean's and the crease between his eyebrows deepened, as though he could not possibly fathom Dean's sudden obsession with the time. 

Dean laughed and shook his head before turning to the waitress. "In that case, I'll take the same. With a side of bacon and a coffee, please? Black." The waitress tried rather unsuccessfully to stifle her laughter as she repeated their orders back to them and gathered up their menus.

"I do breakfast for dinner all the time, but dinner for breakfast? I like your style, Cas."

"I simply wanted a burger." Cas sipped at his coffee.

Once the waitress came over with a mug for Dean, he drank deeply and began to feel warmth and vitality flow back into his veins. He could feel his anxiety melt away as the caffeine began to take over. _I can totally be friends with this guy. No weird fanboy crap. Just breakfast burgers._

Speaking of which, Dean noticed Cas's eyes glued somewhere over his left shoulder. Turning around, he spotted a hamburger laden tray approaching their table. Cas's eyes never left the plate as the waitress set it in front of him and busied herself with refilling coffees. 

By the time the waitress smiled and walked away, Cas could no longer resist temptation. Dean watched his teeth sink into the burger and choked on his coffee at the growly moan that rumbled out of Cas's chest. "These make me," Cas grinned down at the burger in his hands, "very happy." He dove in for another bite. 

Dean wheezed, and took another sip of coffee to soothe his burning throat.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine." Dean took another long gulp of coffee. "Wrong pipe. So at what point do we talk about Supernatural?"

Cas sighed and reluctantly returned his burger to the plate. "Obviously you looked me up."

"Wikipedia, man." Cas really did not need to know about his long-lived Carver Edlund obsession. For that matter, now that Dean was sitting across from the man, he wished he could forget it himself. "The things it can tell you." 

"Unfortunately. At least it hasn't got hold of my real name yet. My fans are few." He smiled as his eyes found Dean's. _Abort. Abort. Cover is blown. Abandon ship._ "But they are... Let's just say dedicated."

"Could be worse? At least you get to write what you love?" _God I hope he's not secretly an asshole who hates his fans._ Dean had been so worried about acting sane in front of Cas that he hadn't spared a thought that "Carver Edlund" may not live up to his expectations. 

"So I don't know how much you read about me, but my Supernatural is about these two brothers, Jimmy and Gabe Wesson. Basically they ride around the country fighting monsters. Saving people. Hunting things. Demon issues. Daddy issues." Cas shrugged. "They aren't very good."

Dean could feel his spine prickle and had to force his usual defense of the series back down his throat. _You are undercover as a real person right now. Don't blow it._ "I'm sure they aren't that bad?" Dean finally choked out. "I mean, I read some pretty positive reviews. People seem to be pretty enthusiastic about it."

Cas's face softened. "I really do love writing them. I do. It's just people don't usually take modern adventure fantasy fiction that seriously. I'm like a notch above romance novels."

"Your books are way more than that, and for a lot of people." Cas looked at Dean curiously. "I mean, I'm sure they mean a lot. To those who read them. Otherwise your fans wouldn't be so dedicated." _Nice save, assclown._

But it brought a smile to Cas's face, lighting up his eyes. "I hope so. Otherwise my characters have suffered needlessly."

Dean thought back on 'Carver Edlund's' last several books. _Well at least he's aware of what he's doing to the boys,_ he thought, before diving into his own burger. And holy crap it was delicious. The bun was toasted to perfection and had been marinating in burger juice while they talked.  

They ate in silence for several minutes, inhaling caffeine and munching on their hamburgers in alternating turns. Dean realized that he should probably feel a little more awkward about the lack of conversation. Then he took another bite and let out an involuntarily groan of happiness, with an echoing noise coming from Cas. _Well, we are both grunting and moaning. That's like caveman conversation or something. It counts._

But far too soon, the food had disappeared and happy noises gave way to disappointed sighs. "That was a ridiculously delicious burger." Dean had finally regained the ability to speak like a fully evolved human. "How have I not eaten here before?"

"I have a theory, actually." Cas leaned forward and spoke conspiratorially, trailing his finer through some residual BBQ sauce on his plate and sucking it into his mouth. Dean followed the motion with his eyes. "It's not the restaurant, its the hour." Cas grew more animated while he talked, not noticing Dean's doubtful stare. "See, your tongue isn't used to tasting a burger at this time of day, so every time you indulge in a hamburger for breakfast your tongue is unprepared. As a result, it tastes like your first burger."

"Are you saying that you just took my burger virginity? Burgerginity? Is that a thing?"

Cas blushed all the way to the tips of his ears. Dean found it particularly amusing since the look on his face did not change. He still had that squinty glare in place, but his eyes sparkled mischievously. "I guess I probably should have given you warning."

Dean leaned his elbows in the table and stared straight into Cas's eyes. "I can promise you, Cas, I give you permission to surprise me with absolutely anything, so long as it tastes that good."

Cas's lip quirked. "Good to know." He licked more BBQ sauce from the tip of his finger. 

They lapsed into silence again and Cas caught Dean sadly eyeing his empty plate. "Dean?"

"So your theory means means I can't order another... Or if I do, it won't be as good." He trailed off, pouting slightly and dragging his fork across the plate.

"Unfortunately not." Cas watched him for a moment, eyes thoughtful. "Want to get some pancakes?"

"God yes."

* * *

 

They were on their fifth coffee refill, laughing and sharing their second syrup-soaked stack of pancakes when Cas sat up straight suddenly. "What time is it?"

"Uhh... " Dean pulled out his phone. "Almost ten? Shit, how have we been here three hours?"

"Shit." Cas started shoving his forgotten notebooks back into his bag, yanking out his wallet in the process. Before Dean could protest, or even realize what was happening, Cas had slapped down some cash and handed off the long-forgotten bill to the waitress. "Sorry Dean, I'm actually supposed to meet my publisher soon, I didn't expect this to..."

"Run so long? Yeah I get that. People never really believe I can be so charming." Dean shot Cas a shit-eating grin before downing his coffee and walking outside with him. "What's up with your publisher?"

"I should have a new book out sometime in the next few months." Dean suppressed his inner fanboy, who was desperate for details. The fucker was small, but scrappy, and Dean almost lost the battle to appear sane when all he longed to do was beg for an advance copy or even a signature. _You have the guy's number_ , Dean silently reminded his little fanboy. _Wait. Just chill out and wait._

Cas carried on, ignorant of Dean's inner struggle. "We have some details to smooth out about dates and paperwork and copyright and all the minutiae, really. I wouldn't want to bore you."

"Right. Minutiae with the publisher." Half distracted by the Fanboy screaming, _Bore me! For the love of god, I would pay you for these details,_ Dean was temporarily at a loss for anything constructive to say. "Thus the monkey suit?" _Cas's outfit. Safe topic. Fanboy will not be released upon unsuspecting writer-boy. No sir. Not today._

Cas looked down at his suit. "We really do have some actual publishing stuff to talk about, but I think he's also going to try to convince me to do another book tour.  I was hoping a professional exterior would prevent him from giving up on me when I refuse." He smiled ruefully and awkwardly tugged at the tie. 

"Then at least tie your damn tie right." Instinct took over and Dean stepped in close to undo the knot. Cas was frozen in place before him, face just inches away from Dean's. Until that moment, Dean hadn't realized that he had a good two inches on Cas, and had to crouch down slightly to get a good angle on the tie. Unfortunately this brought Cas's mouth directly into his line of sight. It was slightly open, probably die to surprise, and Dean had to focus on his breathing when Cas's tongue darted out to wet his lips. 

"My brother Sammy is in law school." He voice sounded oddly loud as his hands worked,  fingers brushing softly over Cas's collar bones. He gulped as Cas tilted his head up, exposing more of his neck and making more room for Dean to work. "Plus he used to be on the debate team. I had to tie his ties for years before he finally learned how to do it right." He looped and pulled the soft fabric one more time before tugging and smoothing it into place. He reluctantly drew away from Cas's warmth, consciously reminding himself not to let his hands linger, and met his eyes with a grin. "There. One Dean Winchester original Windsor knot. Knock 'em dead, Cas."

Cas smiled back, his eyes a darker shade of blue than Dean remembered. Before he could wonder too much about Cas's magical color changing eyes, Cas asked, "What hours do you work this week?"

"Oh. Um..." Dean hesitated. 

"Well, it's just we didn't really do any research," Cas filled in Dean's hesitation with rambling. "I figured if your offer still stands I could stop by, and pay for my food of course, I can't keep taking advantage like that, and I just really like your coffee, and the muffins are really good, so I-"

"Calm down, scruffy." Dean interrupted with a playful push. "I sold my eternal soul for your name, remember? I'm your permanent research bitch. Next month's schedule just hasn't been posted yet. Anyway, I have to get back at you for ninja-ing the bill away so fast."

"Right." Cas wavered for a moment. "Then, um, send me a text message with the information?"

"Sometimes when you talk, you don't even sound like you are from this century."

Cas broke into an unexpected grin and bowed low in the street. "Until tonight then, good sir." He spun on his heel and walked away without looking back. Dean watched the swish of the tan trench coat until it was lost around a corner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is like a week later than I intended. Sorry, my lovelies. My sister is getting married in about 8 days so I have been in hectic Maid of Honor mode trying to get everything done. Once this madness ends I should be able to settle into a semi-regular schedule. Also, this chapter was a bitch that I had to rearrange and rewrite about three times before I was happy with it. On the bright side, this chapter is about a thousand words longer than usual, and the boys got kind of crazy flirtatious, so yay! Overall, there are bits I love about this chapter, and bits I still kind of want to work on, but fuck it. I am sick of looking at it and I want to work on some new material so here you go!
> 
> Next update: our boys will continue to make oblivious googly eyes at each other over coffee and research.


	5. The Devil's Vomit

Dean chuckled to himself in the break room while thinking about his morning. _Who knew Carver Edlund was a burger and pancakes loving geek?_ He lazily tied his apron around his waist and moved through the kitchen.

"You look uncharacteristically happy. What did you do?" Ruby glared suspiciously at Dean when he joined her behind the counter. 

"I have no idea what you are talking about. Want a cappuccino?" Dean set about tamping down the beans and preparing the drink. 

"You are my knight in shining armor." Ruby pecked a quick kiss to his cheek and hopped up to her usual space on the counter while Dean worked. 

The cafe was fortunately at the post-lunch lull. This was Dean's favorite shift to work.  A few tables were crammed with students, but they were all nose deep in textbooks and papers. The radio mingled with the soft sounds of turning pages and fingers tapping at keys. He glanced at the heavy grey sky lurking outside the windows; it was quiet days like today, when the cafe was a peaceful and warm haven, that made him love this job. A soft smile played about his lips while he soaked in the atmosphere and finished Ruby's drink.

Ruby folded her legs beneath herself and accepted the mug, blowing gently at the surface before taking a sip. "Oh my god that hits the spot. Why the hell is your coffee so much better than mine?"

"Because you didn't have to make it. And get your damn feet off the counter. Health code violation." Dean flicked the end of his towel at her thigh before turning back to steam some milk for his own drink. 

"I do so enjoy not working." She nodded sagely into her mug, ignoring the rest of his statement. 

Dean rolled his eyes. "Hey, did Nick finish December's schedule yet?"

"Oh yeah." Ruby reached over, pulled a sheet of paper from beneath the register and handed it over to Dean. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked down the schedule. 

Ruby grinned. "The devil decided to have mercy since you took the shit shift last week. Also finals. I personally think he's just buttering you up so you can't say no the next time he needs you for the night shift." She finished her cappuccino and hopped off the counter. "I feel alive again. What would I do without you, pretty boy?" 

"Crash and burn." Dean smiled and ruffled her hair. "Or maybe just beat your caffeine addiction. I feel a bit like your dealer."

"Aww Dean, you aren't just my dealer!" She insisted, bumping her head against his shoulder affectionately. "You are also my brother's bitch. Now go wipe down the counters."

"I hate when you go into manager mode," Dean grumbled before grabbing a towel and getting to work. 

* * *

 

A few hours later, the cafe had largely emptied out. There was never much of a dinner rush on Fridays, and most students ditched their studying fairly early. Ruby always tried to argue that the electricity bill for the all-night hours cost more than the profits on Friday nights, but Nick was insistent that the shop stay open. When Dean had first been hired, he wondered why Ruby always called Nick 'Satan,' but in the last year the answer had become abundantly clear. Fortunately the devil himself usually manned the night shift. 

Dean was in the kitchen drying the recently washed dishes while the distant sound of thunder echoed through the cafe, briefly drowning out the soft static of rain falling outside. Sammy had always hated thunder when they were kids, but it always reminded Dean of warmth and closeness. A flash of lightning brought the memory of blue eyes, crinkled with a smile, into Dean's head. He glanced around the kitchen and pulled out his phone, scrolling to Cas's name. 

_December schedule: 1-9 sat-wed. Research?_ Dean typed the message out and shoved his phone back in his pocket, ignoring proper syntax in favor of speed. The last thing he needed was to incite Ruby's curiosity. She could be more stubborn than the hounds of hell once she caught scent of a secret. Or really anything in Dean's life. She found his desire for privacy adorable and sought to ruin it at every opportunity. 

Almost immediately Dean felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He sneaked a peek out the kitchen door. Ruby was restocking the pastry bins, humming along with the soft, folksy music on the radio. Perfect opportunity to take a peek, though he took care to conceal his phone between his body and the register. 

_Hello Dean._ Dean could practically hear the formal growl of Cas's voice etched out in the well-capitalized diction of his texts.  _I am glad. Afternoons are better for research._

_I thought you were a morning man?_

_I do not think I would have been able to justify waking up as early as before just for research._

Dean chuckled. _I can barely wake up for a paycheck. But I love this shift. Perfect time of day._

_You are working now?_

_Yup. It's dead here._

There was a long pause before Cas responded, so Dean set his phone on the counter while he returned clean dishes to the cupboards behind the register.

_Writing is rather slow as well._ Cas finally responded. _I really did have questions for you this morning._

_You come take care of all these dishes, and I'll answer whatever you've got for me._

A half hour passed without Dean receiving a response. He scrolled through the conversation, trying to figure out if he had said something insulting, or if Cas had indicated annoyance in any way. _He's probably just writing. Don't be such a girl,_ Dean thought, angrily shoving his phone back in his apron. 

He carried an armful of clean mugs and moka pots back into the cafe and leaned against the counter, glaring. His phone was in his hand again when he felt a warm body standing close behind him. 

"Who ya textin'?" Ruby sing-singed into his ear.

"Nobody." Dean responded immediately and had to struggle not to smack himself in the face. _Great lie, asshat. I'm sure she bought it._ Even his inner voice thought he was an idiot. There was no easier way to rouse Ruby's suspicions than a poorly planned lie. 

He moved further down the counter, scrubbing at imagined spills while she continued to stare at him with an eyebrow raised. "You are aware of the stupid smile that has been on your face since you started texting, right? Recently replaced with a sulky pout? Yup, that look you have on your face right now. That's the one."

_Shit._ He quickly schooled his features to what he hoped was nonchalance and scrubbed even harder at the counter.

"Dean-o, you used to lie so much better than this." Ruby smiled at him sadly, stroking his shoulder in hopes to console him.

"Shut up."

"Your comebacks, however, remain stellar," she deadpanned in response. "It's a real biting wit you possess. So who is this mystery texter?"

"Seriously, it's nobody. I was just checking my email." _Shit, this is the worst cover story ever._

"I'm going to find out anyway, I just thought you would want to save yourself the suffering. Anyway, I'm on break." She shrugged and walked back towards the kitchen. Dean watched her saunter off, her cool assurance of his surrender sending chills down his spine. The worst part was that he knew she was right. 

Ruby's break passed without incident, just a few easy customers wanting plain coffees to go. The sun was down, and rain beating out a frantic rhythm when Dean decided to invent a drink out of boredom. Nick always complained about all the coffee he wastes on his employees, but Dean knew he secretly appreciated the way Dean would actively try to create new seasonal drinks and specials for the cafe when business was slow. 

That said, he would not appreciate this drink so much. It was a caffeine and sugar-loaded monstrosity, topped with whipped cream, sprinkles and cherries, that Dean decided to name "The Devil's Vomit." Not every invention can be a masterpiece. He grabbed the chalk and stood up on the counter to add it to the list of daily specials. At this point in the night, not enough people would be stopping in to notice, but it would annoy the hell out of Nick when he arrived for his shift. 

"Well this is familiar."

Dean glanced down, chalk frozen in the middle of drawing the devil barfing a rainbow, and was struck with Deja-vu as his green eyes met Cas's steely blue. "No dancing this time?"

Dean looked down at Cas, and felt his response dry up in his throat. He was utterly soaked, beads of water ran down his neck until they joined the saturated fabric of his t-shirt. "You are wet," he finally choked out. _Astute observation, dumbass._

"We'll it is raining a little." Cas shook his head, spraying the counter with droplets of water and plastering several strands of hair across his forehead.

"You are wearing shorts." Dean had finally managed to tear his eyes away from the droplets tracing their way down Cas's clavicle and noticed Cas's attire. A pair of navy blue gym shorts stuck close to his toned thighs, and his worn grey shirt clung to his shoulders. The pink hue of Cas's cheeks and rhythm of his breathing suddenly clicked. "Wait, were you running?"

"Yes." Cas offered no other explanation.

"So... Why did you run here?"

"Well, technically I was running before you contacted me."

Dean contemplated this, recovering enough of his composure to hop down from the counter. "For the record, I totally called that you were the freaky jogger type! But why run here?" He repeated. 

Cas looked guilty. "You told me to come help you out.'"

"I was also kidding, Cas! Seriously, you didn't have to come down here."

Dean watched Cas's throat work as he sought the right words. "Well boredom is no easy adversary. I thought I might pester you with some questions. Plus I like it here."

Dean noticed him shifting slightly and staring at the pastry case. "You sneaky son of a bitch!" He broke out laughing. "You just want muffins!"

Cas sniffed delicately and avoided Dean's eyes. "Well you were gone last time. Free muffins taste better."

"You just reminded me of Ruby, and that is the most terrifying thing I have ever said." 

Cas finally met Dean's eyes over he pastry case, sporting puppy dog eyes second only to Sammy. "Okay, okay. I will continue to be your muffin dealer, but I refuse to make any more red-eyes, be they single or double."

Cas frowned. "What am I supposed to drink?"

"Wait, so all you ever drink are red-eyes?" Cas nodded. "Shit, Cas, how are you alive? Okay, here's the deal: you can monopolize my muffins, but from now on I choose your drink, which you have to drink without complaint," Dean grinned wickedly, "And I have bartender's rights to cut you off when you have had too much."

Cas mulled it over for awhile. "I suppose those terms are... agreeable. But please don't give me the Devil's Vomit."

Dean laughed. "Alright, go sit down. I'll bring it over." Dean waved him over to his couch and hopped to work. He decided to introduce the man to mochas in order to earn his trust, but eventually hoped to create his own little coffee-creation guinea pig. 

"Sooo..." Dean froze as Ruby gently alerted him to her presence. Her break must have ended. "You and Angel boy seem friendly."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay the wedding madness is over and I have sufficiently caught up on sleep. I swear to god, being a maid of honor is way more work than I ever thought. I barely ate for like a week. But I'm back with another little chapter! 
> 
> I am still having a lot of fun with this story, but it's mainly been fluffy nonsense. I'm still kind of getting the right voice for the characters and setting the scene. I suppose that is the joy in starting out a slow burn fanfic, but let me know if it is going a bit too slow for you guys. The story should be expanding soon! Sam will get introduced, and Cas and Dean will start getting more and more involved in each other's lives. I don't have any huge definite plans yet, but I do have several plots. I'm really happy if any of you are enjoying it at all. I'll try to have the next chapter up by the weekend!
> 
> PS. As I said before, I love working on this, but I'm thinking about maybe doing a few more romantic oneshots on the side in order to get my more kissy-smoochy chops up before this story reaches that point. Would anyone mind longer delays in updating this fic for some immediate canoodling?


	6. Deus ex Machina

"I'm just helping him with some research."

"Dean, you are ten pounds of crap in a five pound bag."

Dean and Ruby were whispering frantically at each other while Dean brewed, frothed and poured Cas's mocha. Ruby was sitting up on the counter again, glaring imperiously down at Dean, who staunchly tried to ignore her. _She only sits up there so she can be taller. She's way less scary when she's a foot shorter._ He pouted down at the rich chocolate swirling with espresso as he filled Cas's mug. 

Ruby smirked. "So if it's just research, you won't mind if I make you stay at the register while I go into the back and work on the books?"

That got his attention. "What? No!" His voice was a little too loud in the emptiness of the cafe. He winced and stole a glance at Cas, who was frowning at him from his corner. "Ruby..." He dropped his voice back down to a whisper and sighed. "We've been texting and got breakfast this morning, okay? He's a writer and wants my help in researching his next book."

Ruby snorted. "Wants your help researching his dick."

"I don't even know what that means."

"You will." She tilted her head and fixed his eyes with her own. "Okay, I've got the counter, but tomorrow you and I are having a little chat about secrets and letting me live vicariously though you." She hopped off the counter and handed him a blueberry muffin from the pastry case. "This isn't over. Now go feed Cassie. I've got the counter 'til your shift ends."

"You know I love you, right?" Dean kissed her quickly on the forehead and loaded a tray to take to Cas. 

When he turned around, Cas seemed excessively concentrated on his notebooks, but his eyes weren't moving over the words. "Alright there, Cas?"

"What? Yes. Just thinking." He smiled thinly.

Dean shot him a smile as he handed over the drink. "Anything I can help with? I should warn you that I am much better at Latin than Greek, and the intricacies of poetry often escape me, but I will answer whatever I can."

"Oh. No I was just spacing out. Honestly, I can barely even think about this book. I kinda wrote myself into a corner with the last one."

Dean raised an eyebrow in question, and Cas continued. "Well I wasn't sure if the publisher was going to want another book, so I sent Jimmy to hell. But advance reviews are pretty good, so they signed me up for three more. I'm not really sure how to get him out now."

_Oh my god, Jimmy actually goes to hell? Shit, why? I thought he and Gabe were going to get out of that shady crossroads deal? Gah, spoilers, man!_ Fortunately Cas was back to staring at his notebook and didn't notice Dean's crumbling composure. _Okay no. You don't get pissed about spoilers from the author himself. And we are not talking to anyone about what he tells us. Author-consultant confidentiality. Be cool._

"Okay, so Jimmy is in hell, what is Gabe doing at this point?" 

Cas finally gave a genuine smile, as though he couldn't believe Dean was actually interested. "Hunting, of course! And trying to get Jimmy out, but he's just one man, you know?" Cas sighed and ran his hand through his hair, setting the still-wet strands on edge. 

"Wait here a sec. And drink up!" Cas, wearing his usual vaguely confused scowl, watched him stand and disappear into the kitchen. Ruby met Cas's eyes and shrugged with a small smile before turning back to the register and 'minding her own business.' 

Dean soon returned with a gym bag slung over his shoulder. "I'm cold just looking at you." He tossed the bag to Cas, who caught it on instinct. "I promise my gym clothes are clean. They might smell a bit like my car, but they'll be a hell of a lot warmer than that." He gestured towards the water still dripping down Cas's bare legs and arms.

Cas's gaped at Dean even as his hands closed tighter around the gym bag. "Dean," he growled. "I'm fine. Really." 

"Which is why you are shivering." Dean crossed his arms and noted the stubborn set of Cas's jaw, and the goosebumps covering his arms. "How's this: if your soggy ass ruins the furniture, Nick will take it out of my pay. Go change."

"We'll, if it is for your safety..." He stood up and shuffled over to the restroom. 

"Stubborn son of a bitch!" Dean called after him as he closed the door. 

"So you're sending him home in your clothes now?" 

"Damnit, Ruby." She had managed to sneak to his side without him noticing. "The guy was cold, okay?"

"Whatever, lover boy. I swear, if you two eyefuck any harder I'm going to need therapy."

"Shut up!" Dean hissed and shoved her back behind the counter just as Cas walked back into the cafe. His eyes shot between the two baristas for a moment before settling on Dean. "Your clothes are kind of big." 

Dean's sweats hung low on Cas's hips, and the worn out shirt was stretched around the neck, revealing an obscene amount of collarbone. He had toweled his hair off and was standing barefoot in the middle of the dimly lit cafe, holding his shoes awkwardly. His eyes shone uncertainly under dark brows. Dean's hands itched to reach out and grab him, steer him over to that couch and lick the flavor of chocolatey coffee from his mouth until there was nothing left but Cas. Forget Ruby and Nick. Screw health code violations, Dean ached with the need to simply experience the man who stood before him shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. _Huh. That's new._

But the silence had gone on too long. Dean cleared his throat and settled himself onto the couch. "Warmer?" His voice was too choked and husky. Blushing, he cleared his throat once more and continued. "So let's set siege to hell and yank Jimmy's ass out, yeah?"

 Cas smiled, crinkling the corners of his eyes and took his seat next to Dean. "I like the sound of that." He paused, his eyes focusing somewhere beyond Dean and his smile going dreamy. "Actually I really like the sound of that. Gimme."

He reached over Dean to grab his notebook and a pen, brushing his shoulder and knee gently against Dean's own. Dean felt his ears grow hot and moved a hand up to rub at them.  _Okay, I'm clearly not just helping him with research._ _And he's definitely not just a customer._ He watched the light in Cas's eyes as he scratched his pencil back and forth across the paper. _Holy crap he is beautiful._

"Doesn't it sound badass to have an entire siege to pull Jimmy from hell? I mean, this is the kind of event that will set the plot for the next series of books! But who would do it? Bobby and Gabe would be down! But even if they had every hunter in the states, I don't know if they could infiltrate hell..."

_I think I'm in a lot of trouble here._

"And I do love the idea of a hunter army, but that would come from nowhere in the narrative, and they would need a better cause than Jimmy's sorry ass..."

_I am a fucking idiot. How did I not notice this before?_

"Deus ex machina." Dean finally interrupted his own thoughts and Cas's literary rambling.  

"What?"

"God from the machine. Introduce a new character to get your plot out of a dead end."

Cas rolled his eyes. "I know what it means, Dean. But how do you mean it?"

Dean leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and subtly shifted his leg a little further from Cas's. _Save the freak out for later._ "What if your god from the machine was actually a machine from god?"

"I like the sound of it so far?" A smile quirked at Cas's lips ( _Jesus, his beautiful lips)._

"Well you have used demonic lore and symbolism throughout the books, with the yellow-eyed demon and devil's traps. So who better to battle the legions of hell to free a soul than the armies of heaven?"

Cas was glaring down at his notebook, worrying his lip between his teeth when Dean's brain finally caught up with his mouth enough to shut him up. _Son of a bitch, fanboy just came out a little... Maybe he didn't notice? Shit, you aren't supposed to know this much about his books. Is he pissed?_

Just as apologies and confessions were bubbling their way to Dean's mouth, Cas looked up into his eyes, eyebrows still clenched in thought as he soothed the faint bite-marks on his lower lip with his tongue. Dean's vocal cords froze and he stared back into Cas's eyes, waiting for a response. _I am freaking the fuck out right now. Breathe, dumbass. Breathe._

"Dean, that is... kind of genius." He turned back to his notebook and started scribbling down words, talking all the while. "Jimmy wakes in a coffin months after his death, finds out he was raised from perdition to fight for the angels. This is the perfect direction to take the series! It fills out the current mythology perfectly!" He paused and looked back at Dean. "How did you know all that about the demon lore I've used?"

"Umm... Wikipedia."

"Right. The internet is full of spoilers." He paused, tapping his pencil thoughtfully against his lower lip. "You don't think you would ever want to read my books, would you?"

Dean was surprised. "Do you want me to?"

Cas smiled down at his hands in his lap, shifting to bump his shoulder playfully against Dean's. "Well if Wikipedia gave you such good insights into my books, I would love to see what you can do with the full story."

"What if I turn into some kind of crazy fanboy and spread all your secrets on the Internet?" 

Cas smiled. "I guess I can bribe your silence with more hamburgers."

"Damn, Cas," Dean leaned his head back as isn't the couch and closed his eyes. "We met like a week ago and you already know my greatest weakness." He peeked out of the corner of his eye to where Cas was smiling down at his muffin, tearing off small chunks and nibbling them delicately. "But I still don't know much about you."

Cas brushed the crumbs from his hands and leaned further back into the couch, matching Dean's posture. "So what do you want to know?"

"Hmm..." Dean tapped his chin thoughtfully and tried to ignore that he was close enough to Cas to smell his shampoo. He smelled just as maddeningly of cinnamon and watermelon as the first time they met. It was a mystery combination he wished he could pick apart with his teeth, but those weren't the questions that Cas was inviting. "It's a little difficult to think of something on the spot." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, trying to hide his blush.

"Well, my name is Castiel Novak, I am twenty-six years old and got my degree in English linguistics and literature three years ago."

Dean chuckled. "Okay, tit for tat. I am Dean Winchester, twenty-three, and I got my BA in classical archaeology about six months ago." He looked to Cas to respond, but the man just settled deeper into the cushions, happily sipping his coffee, and prompted Dean to continue. "I have a little brother, Sammy, who is a sophomore doing pre-law right now. He has stupid long hair, but the last time I tried to cut it, I got nair in my shampoo bottle."

"He sounds like my brother Gabe. I borrowed his car without asking once and he tied me to a chair listening to boy bands for six hours."

"So you named your character after your brother?" Cas's smile fell off his face at the question. "I'll take that as a yes..." Dean watched the blood drain from Cas's face, leaving him pale white everywhere except his ears, which blushed furiously. "Does that mean you are Jimmy?"

Cas cringed. "A little bit? It's not like we're the same person, but it just kind of worked out that way."

"Still want me to read the books?" Dean smirked, and Cas punched his shoulder lightly. 

"Sorry to interrupt your little love-in here..."

 Cas jumped about a foot away from Dean, correcting his own posture and nearly spilled the dregs of his coffee in the process, while Dean winced. "Son of a bitch, Ruby, what can you possibly need?"

"Says the employee to his manager!"

"You are four years younger than me."

"Anyway, I just thought you would want to know that you are a half hour overtime, and Satan will be here in about five minutes. If you don't clock out, he will eat you."

"Fuck, it's past nine?" Dean jumped off the couch grabbing Cas's empty mug and plate as he went. He quickly dumped them in the kitchen sink before rushing back into the cafe and attacking the counter with a towel. 

Cas had shoved his notebook back into his bag and was standing at the coffee bar awkwardly, holding Dean's gym bag in one hand with his backpack slung over the other shoulder. Dean's baggy t-shirt had raked up along Cas's smaller torso. Dean had to focus on looking Cas in the eyes and not staring at the sliver of tanned hipbone that poked out. 

"So I'll just get your clothes back to you later this week?" He edged closer to the door. 

Ruby walked back into the cafe, eyes darting between the boys. "Hold up, Blue. How are you getting home?"

"Walking? I mean, I came over during my run so..."

"No." Ruby crossed her arms and stared at him stubbornly. 

"What?"

"You are not walking home in the dark in the rain. You are far too pretty and are likely to get mugged." Dean felt a tingling in his chest as he anticipated her next words, and couldn't decide if his heart was soaring or sinking. "Dean will drive you home." She grinned at them both predatorily. 

Cas stared at Ruby as if she had committed the ultimate betrayal. "I really couldn't."

"Please, I'm pretty sure Dean loves his car more than family. If he doesn't get the chance to show it off at least twice a week, it physically pains him. Plus I'd rather not have my new favorite regular pass out and drown in a puddle. Just wait a sec, we'll be right out."

Cas watched in silent confusion while Ruby ushered Dean through the kitchen and into the break room to grab his things. 

"Don't look at me like that." She rolled her eyes while breaking into Dean's locker and tossing his jacket and bag at him. "The two of you were basically snuggling on that couch for the last two hours. The least you can do is drive him home."

He sighed and pulled on his jacket. "I know. And for the record I was going to offer him a ride anyway, I'm just kinda nervous."

She grinned and reached up to smooth his hair into some semblance of order. "Since when is the great Dean Winchester scared of a little flirting?"

"Ruby, I'm serious." He knocked her hands aside. "I think I'm a little in love with Cas."

She stared at him blankly. "Well, obviously."

_Fuck._

"Are you just realizing this now?" Dean stared at her blankly. "You are the biggest idiot I know."

"Rubes, it was hard enough in the cafe and we had a fucking audience in there. How am I supposed to drive a car?"

"First of all, ew. I don't want to hear about your hardness in the cafe. Health code violation. And second," She flicked him on the ear, "Don't be such a pansy. Just drive the guy home and try not to choke on your own tongue." She thought a moment and grinned wickedly. "I have no rules against choking on Cas's tongue however."

"I am leaving now." He stood and adjusted the collar of his jacket. 

"Or any other parts!" She called after him, laughing in his wake. 

"You are the worst." 

 

 

Basic Floorplan of The Devil's Brew. At least the way I see it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Dean has moved on from being subconsciously attracted to actively fantasizing about our Cas! I'm so proud of him. He really is an idiot. I really like torturing him though. :D Also, Ruby is insanely fun to write. 
> 
> Anyway, you all were so lovely about how delayed recent chapters have been that I decided to crack out another one as a reward! As a plus, I'm already about 500 words into chapter 7, so that should be up by Sunday at the latest, tomorrow at the earliest. Imagine: three chapters in three days! Wouldn't that be fancy? 
> 
> So after loading you up on some chapters, I am going to take a small break and work on some kissy-kissy oneshots. Probably Teen Wolf, though maybe Supernatural. Also, I may attempt smut? I've never written sex scenes before. It will be fun!


	7. Meet Baby

When he walked back into the cafe, Cas was leaning with his back against the counter. His eyes were closed and his head tilted back towards the ceiling. Dean stared at the long expanse of neck that was bared to him as he approached, licking his lips. It would be so easy to sneak around the counter and pin Cas to it with his body. Let his hands slip under the hem of his shirt to press against skin and draw quiet moans from Cas's throat. Let Cas's voice vibrate against his lips and teeth while he sucked small bruises into his jawline and scratched his fingernails along the planes of his stomach. 

But then Cas opened his eyes and shot a small smile at Dean, who tried to get his thoughts under control. "Ruby's a hard one to say no to, isn't she?"

Dean swallowed and moved closer, trying to ignore the feel of his own fingers brushing against Cas's when he grabbed the bag from his hands. "You have no idea. I was going to offer you a ride anyway, though. I want you to meet my Baby."

"Your baby? Oh god, you aren't one of those weird motorheads who idealizes your car, are you?"

Dean tried to suppress his laughter while he steered Cas out of the cafe. "You are going to piss off my Baby. Come on, I parked over here." Dean tugged on Cas's elbow and broke into a light jog down the street, trying to stay dry through the torrential downpour. Cas followed after him, dodging the larger puddles. 

Dean ran around to the passenger side first, unlocking and tugging the door open for Cas before circling back to the drivers side and diving in. They spent a few seconds trying to catch their breath before breaking into simultaneous bouts of laughter. 

"We are such idiots." Dean shook his head, flicking water from his hair onto Cas, who glared at him before returning the favor. 

"Speak for yourself. I'm not the one who jumped into the damn car like I was being shot at."

"Woah now." Dean paused while peeling off his jacket. "See if I ever open the door for you again. My Baby is a '67 Chevy Impala. I restored her myself and you don't talk about her like she's just some car."

"But it is a car."

"Whatever." Dean rolled his eyes and turned to the wheel. "I'm not starting her up until you apologize. You kinda hurt her feelings, you know." 

"Are you kidding me right now?"

Dean just grinned and gestured to the dashboard in response. 

Cas rolled his eyes at Dean, but then surprised Dean by leaning forward and pressing his lips gently to the dash. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Baby." He whispered. "Dean was right, you are beautiful."

_Damn._ Dean had always loved his car, but had never been jealous of her before. _This guy is going to cause a rift between me and my baby. Then again..._ He glanced back over at the spot Cas had kissed and ran a hand over his own mouth. Attractive men and beautiful cars had always been a lethal combination for Dean's attention span. 

"Right." He turned the key and smiled as Baby purred to life beneath his fingers. "She says she likes you," he whispered to Cas conspiratorially. "Then again, she's extremely susceptible to flattery. Where to?"

"Clement and 20th."

"Jesus, you ran from there? Freaky jogger."

"No comments from the cabbie." Cas shot back. 

"Fair enough." Dean chuckled, and they pulled out into the street. They rode in silence for some time, Dean focusing most of his energy on navigating the wet streets and trying to ignore the warmth he thought he could feel radiating from his passenger. The streets were dangerous enough without Dean puzzling over whether that warmth was actually from Cas or just supplied by his own body whenever Cas was around. Cas himself seemed intent on staring at the rain falling outside of his window, for which Dean was thankful. The distracting warmth seemed to increase whenever Cas's eyes were on him. _That seems to lend credibility to the theory that he is not actually a radiator and its all in my head. Shit, drive your damn car, we are not thinking about this now._

"So uh... Ruby seems really nice." Cas finally turned back to Dean and interrupted the silence. 

"She's a pain in the ass, but I like her."

"So you two are..." Cas paused suggestively and raised his eyebrow. 

Dean's knuckles went white around the wheel. "Me and Ruby? No no. Oh God no. Trust me, she's really not my type."

"Oh." Cas lapsed back into silence, but Dean thought he saw a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth before he turned back to the window. "You guys just seem really close."

_Crap. He has a thing for Ruby?_ "She's a good kid. Reminds me a lot of my brother, actually."

Dean didn't mean to elaborate, but there was something about the curious look on Cas's face that prompted him to continue. "They are the same age, and just have been through a lot in the last few years. It's kind of a long story."

"And I clearly can't stomach storytelling." Cas chuckled.

"You tell me why you and your brother are named after angels, and I'll tell you about Sammy."

Cas just grimaced in response.

"Exchange of information, baby. Ain't nothing in this world is free!" 

Cas blushed and turned back to the window. "I'm the yellow house, next block on the right." His apartment building was painted pale yellow, nestled in between a corner liquor store and a sushi restaurant. 

While Dean parked, Cas's eyebrows were furrowed in thought. He stared out the window without making any move to exit the car. "Dean," he seemed to make a decision, but when he turned and looked Dean in the eyes gave away a sudden loss in courage. He sighed and said instead, "So is it okay if I come in again tomorrow?"

_Does he know Ruby's working tomorrow? It must be Ruby. She is freaking adorable, of course he likes her._ "Yeah, stop by anytime!"

Cas grinned. "I will!"

That smile felt like a kick to the chest. _Damnit, Dean. Did we seriously fall for a straight guy? Again?_ He forced a smile as Cas grabbed his bag and stepped out of the car. 

"Hey, Cas." Cas leaned down and looked at Dean. "I like you." _That's putting it mildly._ "I mean, you are a cool guy, but don't mess around with Ruby unless you are serious about her. The kid doesn't need any more crap."

Cas's mouth hung open, jaw working lamely as he sought the right words. He didn't even notice the rain soaking through the shirt Dean had lent him, and Dean tried to ignore the way it clung to his body. "I didn't... I mean I'm not... She's like seven years younger than me, Dean!" He paused for a moment, composing himself and speaking his next words carefully. "She's not exactly my type either."

"Oh." Dean nodded. 

"Yeah."

"Okay good." Dean flashed a smile at Cas, who returned it shyly. 

_Not his type... Did that mean what I think it did?_

"So... I'm getting soaked out here." Cas gestured down to his borrowed shirt and sweats. 

"Right!" Dean turned back to the wheel. "You are free to go, good sir."

Cas ducked his head and slammed the door shut with a smile.

* * *

  

Dean unlocked and pushed open the door to his apartment, looking around at the mess without really noticing it. He tossed his jacket onto the kitchen counter and peeled off his wet shirt as he walked towards his bedroom. _This is the life._ Dean loved living alone. No silent bitchfaces about empty pizza boxes piled on the coffee table or boxers on the bathroom floor. He was going to miss it once Sammy arrived. He had just kicked off his jeans and collapsed on his bed when he heard his phone buzzing. 

_Did you make it home okay? This storm is biblical._

_Yup. Safe and sound in bed._ Dean thought a moment before adding, _Sorry about going all 'protective older brother' on you earlier._

_Is fine. I can tell you guys are close._

_She's like my sister. My terrible sister, who is drunk with power and always late._

There was a long pause before Cas responded. 

_I'm glad we could clear up any misunderstanding._

Dean reread that message about four times before dropping his head back on the pillow in defeat. _So what the hell does that mean?_

* * *

 

Cas and Dean fell into a rhythm after that night. Dean would come in for work at one, serve coffee and get some homework done. But no matter what, at seven he would start making Cas's coffee, because Cas always stopped by after his run. Dean never served the same drink twice, and loved watching Cas's reactions. He never commented on the flavor, but Dean noticed the way he clutched the sweeter coffees close to his body as he sank into the couch on especially cold days, or how he would lick the bitter taste of espresso from his lips when highly inspired. Dean learned to match the set of Cas's shoulders and weariness in his eyes with the perfect caffeinated solution. Every night Ruby would smile and roll her eyes at them from the counter, and every night Dean would give Cas a ride home. 

One day Cas showed up pale, sporting deep purple bags under his eyes and wobbly on his feet. Dean took one look at him, poured out the espresso con panna he had been planning to serve and boiled the water for a mug of pomegranate tea instead, sweetened with honey. 

"Jesus, Cas. How long have you been awake?" Dean steered him over to their couch and pressed the mug into his hands. 

Cas stared at the cup as though he couldn't remember what it was for before sipping from it cautiously. "A day or two? I dunno. I've been outlining."

Dean sighed and had to fight the urge to run his fingers though Cas's hair and pull him into a hug. "I have a few days off work, and you go back to being zombie-Cas. If you die before this book is finished, I will kill you."

"Your premise is flawed." Cas mumbled. 

Dean chuckled and looked down at his hands. In the past three weeks since they met, they had fallen into an easy friendship. It was the worst kind of torture, sitting inches from him, joking and laughing when all he wanted to do was touch, savoring brief glances and shared smiles but too timid to just ask the guy out already. _I'm not a fucking child anymore._ He sighed. _Though the evidence suggests otherwise._

 Dean's reverie was interrupted when he felt Cas's warm body pressing close to his side. "Cas?" He stole a look down to see the steady rise and fall of Cas's chest. 

"Tea's good." Cas murmured into his shoulder, before he burrowed closer onto his chest and fell properly asleep.

"You didn't have to come if you were this tired." Dean told his unconscious friend. He shifted his arm around Cas's waist, pulling him closer. He pressed his lips to the crown of Cas's head and whispered, "But I'm glad you did."

* * *

 

Cas woke up alone on the couch, covered with a worn crocheted blanket. He looked around and spotted Dean sitting cross legged in a nearby overstuffed chair, cradling a book in his lap.  A pair of glasses perched on the end of his nose, having slipped down as his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Didn't know y'wore glasses." 

Dean looked up and grinned. "Morning sunshine."

Cas grunted, rolling onto his back and running a hand over his face. "Wha'time s'it?" 

"A little past midnight."

"What?" Cas sat up, almost falling off the couch as he threw the blanket off and started searching around for his bag. "Crap, Dean you got off hours ago. Why didn't you wake me?"

_Because you were so fucking cute that I didn't want you to leave._ "You were tired." Dean shrugged. "I needed to get some studying done and we just happen to be in a 24 hour cafe." Dean cleared his throat, remembering the feel of Cas's hair brushing against his lips, and the his soft breath ghosting over his chest. "Besides, I know you. If I sent you home, you probably wouldn't sleep." Dean stretched and languidly rose from the chair. "Lemme just say bye to Nick and we can head out."

Dean's yawned as he pushed through the kitchen doors. Nick was standing at the counter, rolling out pie crusts. 

"Playing with the Easy Bake Oven again?"

Nick smirked, not looking away from the crust. "Ah, Prince Charming has entered my lair. I take it you molested Snow White awake?"

Dean chuckled. "Shut up, asshole." He pulled off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. "Am I really that obvious?"

"Hey, all I know is that when I showed up, you were half asleep, canoodling a customer on one of my couches. Now I know where all of our extra pastries are going."

"Umm... I can pay for them if you-" Dean hadn't even thought about all he free food he had been handing out. To be honest, the first time he had given freebies to Cas, he was just worried that the guy was going to fall over if he didn't eat something, but it had become such a habit that he didn't spare a thought to what Satan would say. 

"Shut up, Dean. Employees get free food, you know that. It's not my business if you are feeding them to Bed-Head out there."

Nick felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. He sighed. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Ruby calls you the devil, but you really are a darling, aren't you?" He peered around Nicks shoulder, sniffing at the ingredients littering the counter. "If the baking experiments are a failure, I will still happily eat them."

He shoved Dean's face away. "Go away, Dean."

"G'night, Lucy." Dean laughed and dusted Nick's floury handprint off his cheek.

* * *

 

"Okay, let's get you home."

"I am so terribly sorry Dean." His voice was no longer slurred from sleep, but his shirt was wrinkled and slightly twisted around his torso and he was looking at Dean with earnest blue eyes. _He's the weirdest mix between formal and scruffy._

"I really don't understand why you put up with me, Dean." Cas followed him out the door, shaking his head. 

"Well why wouldn't I?" Dean tried to stifle a yawn and his own urge to interlock his own fingers with Cas's while they walked. 

"Would you like a list? One: I take all your free food. Two: I pick your brain for research ideas." He ticked off each item on his fingers as they walked to Baby. "Three: I make you and Baby drive me home, after bugging you at work all day." Dean loved the way he said her name. Cas had learned early that Baby was Dean's number one lady. "And four-" Cas paused a moment as he climbed into the car and picked something up off the floor. "Is this my book?"

Dean froze with the keys in the ignition, starring at the tattered old copy of 'The Lady in White' in Cas's hands. Sure enough, there on the cover was 'Carver Edlund.'

_Fuck._ "Umm... Yes?" _Shit._

"Why didn't you tell me you started reading it?" Cas's grin was infectious and Dean couldn't help but smile back. 

_Huh. Cover is only partially blown. Roll with it._ "It was supposed to be a surprise?" _That works._

"You could have at least bought it new, you cheapskate!" He whacked Dean lightly on the shoulder, laughing. 

_As long as he doesn't recognize my handwriting in the margins, I'm safe. Or look in the glove compartment. Im really glad I never put that Devil's Trap sticker on Baby. Drive now._ Dean turned the keys and set off towards Cas's house. They lapsed into comfortable silence for much of the drive, while Cas smiled out the window and Dean focused on staying awake and in his lane. He didn't notice that Cas still held the book in his lap, his thumb tracing lazy circles over the cover. 

"You know, you don't have to read my books."

"Are you kidding Cas? I love them!" _Woah there fanboy. Scale it back._ "I love your style. Jimmy is such a badass!" He sighed internally. _That was not scaling it back. Cookie for you, idiot._

Cas grimaced, but Dean noticed that his ears had turned rather pink. "Really? Most reviews describe him as self righteous and boring."

Dean smiled wistfully while turning the wheel. "He has his flaws, but I think he tries. Even if he fucks up, I think it would be for the right reasons. Screw the reviews." He snuck a smile at Cas. _You sentimental idiot. Where the hell are your boundaries tonight? Stop hitting on him through his characters and watch the damn road._

Cas was silent again, as if pondering his words. "Hey Dean?"

"Yup?"

"You've driven by my house three times."

Dean  frowned and turned the wheel, circling the block once more and peering out the windshield with bleary eyes. "Son of a bitch. I knew it was somewhere around here."

"Are you alright?"

Dean finally pulled Baby into a parking space and groaned, leaning his head back against his seat. "All's good." He massaged his eyes with the heel of his palm. "Just gotta wake up my face and I'll be on my way."

"Don't you live back over by Devil's?"

Dean nodded, yawning so wide his eyes watered.

Cas sighed, hesitating, before he snagged the keys from the ignition. "I'm not letting you drive. Sleep deprivation can inhibit your driving just as well as intoxication. You are staying here tonight."

Dean stared dumbly after Cas as he opened the door and stepped onto the curb.

"You may either follow me inside or sleep out here. I'll let you have your keys back in the morning."

"Umm... Okay." Dean exited the car, and quietly followed Cas to his building's door. Cas inserted and turned the key. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well obviously if I ever say a chapter is going to be up by a certain day, I will end up having a bitch of a time editing and miss that deadline, so I am not doing deadlines anymore. I hope you all enjoy the cliffhanger! I was originally planning on taking a break from this fic for a week or two to work on some other stories, but I can't imagine leaving you guys on that note, so I'll keep on with the updates. Oneshots can wait. Ooh, I think I am going to introduce Sammy either in chapter 8 or 9, so we'll be seeing him soon!


	8. Apology Eggs

Cas's apartment was just so perfectly him. It was a small studio, crammed full with a large bed and mismatched couch and chairs. Almost every empty space on the walls was covered with crammed bookshelves. Dean stood awkwardly in the doorway while Cas bustled around, shoving errant items under his bed and carrying dirty dishes to the kitchen. 

"I'm sorry bout the mess. I have pulled a few all-nighters recently. As you already know." He laughed nervously, finally sitting on the couch. They looked into each other's eyes for a long moment before Dean cleared his throat and joined him. 

"I'm really sorry to impose..."

"So now you get how I feel all the time." Cas grinned over at him and Dean felt the tension fall out of his limbs as he returned the smile. 

"You forced me! Stole Baby's keys!"

"And you allowed me to sleep against my will. Turnabout is fair play."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh I am crying into my cornflakes here. I'll try to be more of a dick next time."

A small smile tugged at Cas's mouth. "So are you still moments away from passing out, or can I grab you a beer or something?"

Dean stared at him. "You drink beer?"

Cas stared back. "What else would I drink?"

_Fancy wine? Moonbeams?_ "Excessively caffeinated coffee, I guess? Also yes."

Cas stood up and walked to the refrigerator, bending down to grab two bottles from the lowest shelf. Dean rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he tried not to look at the fantastic view Cas was presenting him with. Tried and failed. It was understandably difficult to pull his eyes away from the fabric which shifted and pulled so deliciously against Cas's body as he moved. Even once he stood and turned, grabbing a bottle opener from a drawer and popping he caps, Dean found the sight of his lithe hands equally intoxicating. At least he managed subtle about his ogling, for which he was especially grateful when Cas suddenly met his eyes. 

"Would you like a glass?"

"Just gimme the damn beer, Cas."

Cas's checks flushed and he handed the bottle over to Dean and settled back in on the other side of the couch. Their impromptu staring contest resumed while each sipped slowly from their bottles. 

"So you aren't like some kind of scruffy serial killer who lures innocent baristas into your home using sad blue eyes and feigned kindness, right?"

"What? No!"

Dean grinned and took another sip. "And I'm not going to wake up naked in a bathtub of ice with one of my kidneys missing, am I? I'm kinda partial to both of them."

Cas snorted. "Like I would tell you. Shouldn't have been so eager to get that beer."

Dean looked suspiciously at the bottle in his hand and then back to Cas. "Okay, so I was kidding before but now I'm actually a bit concerned. Should I be running?"

"That's up to you." He smirked and took a deep gulp of his beer, lips wrapped delicately around its neck as he tilted his head back. 

Dean licked his own lips and took another small sip. "Well I am pretty tired. Just let me sleep before the murdering starts."

"I don't think I've ever seen you tired before," Cas said thoughtfully over the lip of his beer and curled his legs up onto the couch. "Even on the night shift you were dancing around like an idiot." He laughed at Dean's glare. "What's up?"

Dean chuckled. "So you saw through my superhero facade, eh?" He looked down at the bottle in his hands and started absently peeling the label off. "Finals start next week. I have so many papers and translations crammed in my skull I would probably bleed Latin."

"This is your first semester of grad school, isn't it? What's it like?" Cas settled further back into the couch, hands wrapped lazily around his half-empty bottle. 

Dean kicked off his shoes and spread his legs out along the couch, his ankle brushing against Cas's knee. "It's different than I thought. Is a lot of work that I like, but not much time for doing what I love. Is a little exhausting." He shrugged. "'Maybe I just need some more time to settle in. It's been a pretty rough couple of months. It's going to be great when Sammy gets here though."

"Sammy's coming to visit?" Cas's eyes lit up a little.

Dean grinned in response. "Moving in with me, actually! He couldn't leave for college right away, so he's been living back in Lawrence, but the smart little fucker finished all of his GE's in a year so he's transferring here."

"That's great, Dean! From the way you talk about him, it's going to be fun having him around."

Dean grinned and tried to ignore how warmed he was by the implication of Cas's continued involvement in his life. He hadn't told Sammy much about Cas, but Sam knew when something was up. He had been asking Dean teasing questions for the last two weeks, so it was probably going to be horrifically embarrassing when Sam finally got his hands on Cas. Nevertheless, Dean was looking forward to it.

"Oh crap!" Cas suddenly sat up straight, nearly knocking his bottle off his lap and startling Dean. "Me kidnapping you isn't messing up any of your studying, is it? Shit, Dean, I didn't even think."

"Kidnapping?" Dean relaxed back into the couch, nudging the side of Cas's leg with his foot. "Believe it or not, I sometimes actually leave blocks of time for sleep. Plus I got most of my crap done for the night while you were passed out at Devil's." He nudged Cas's leg again, avoiding eye contact and peeling more of his beer's label off. "If you don't chill out I will keep feeding you beer until you do, and taking care of your hungover ass tomorrow _would_ cut into my study time."

Cas was blushing slightly and frowned at Dean. "Hey, I'm just concerned about corrupting the youth." He returned Dean's favor, bumping his thigh against Dean's foot.

"You've only got three years on me, asshole!" Dean groaned and lobbed a small pillow at Cas's head. 

Cas caught it and chucked it back, where it bumped Dean's elbow as he swigged from the bottle, spilling beer over his face and shirt. For several long moments, the two men just stared at each other, Cas with a smile tugging at his lips and Dean with beer dripping from the tip of his nose and a comically betrayed expression in his eyes. Something finally snapped in the tension between them and they both kept to action. Cas stumbled off the couch, nearly paralyzed with laughter while Dean cursed and lifted the hem of his t-shirt to wipe the beer from his eyes. "Get over here, you fucker." He grabbed the corner of the pillow and scanned the room for where Cas had fled to. Behind the bar, he spotted a single slender wrist sticking up, clutching a stained white rag and waving it back and forth hopefully. 

Dean crept closer to the bar, pillow in hand, ready to retaliate in the event of a trap, and leaned over it to see Cas crouched behind. He was huddled almost in the fetal position, with one hand still holding his flag of surrender aloft and the other protecting the back of his head and neck from any falling projectiles. His forehead was pressed against his knees and his eyes were closed tight

"Hey." Dean dropped he pillow and rested his elbows on he counter so he could keep watching Cas. "I'm unarmed."

Cas turned his head to one side, cracking one eyelid to peer up at Dean, who was grinning down at him. "Truce?" He asked, extending a hand hopefully.

"Truce." Dean laughed and grabbed Cas's hand, pulling him to his feet before shaking on it. Dean could have sworn that Cas let his fingers linger as he pulled away.

Cas coughed and rubbed his shoulder when the silence between them stared to get awkward. "Your shirt."

"What?"

"You spit beer all over your shirt."

"And whose fault is that?" Dean shot a glare at Cas, but it's impact was largely softened by his smile. 

"You smell like last call." Cas fought to restrain his laughter, attempting to honor the solemn truce they had just made, but still too amused by Dean's predicament.

"Shut up," Dean replied, and tugged at the hem of his shirt to stop it from clinging to his stomach and ribs. "Hey, do you have the gym clothes I gave you a few weeks ago?"

Cas suddenly looked shifty, "Uh... I'm not really sure where I put them. Let me check." He walked over to his closet and started rooting around in the dresser. He returned looking apologetic and holding an unfamiliar shirt in his hands. "Do you mind wearing one of mine?"

"Um... Not at all. Thanks Cas." He took the shirt and poked a thumb at the bathroom. "I'm just going to go wash up a bit? Beer all over me, you know."

Dean closed and locked the bathroom door behind him before leaning against it and letting out a sigh. _What am I doing?_ He pressed away from the door and splashed some water on his face, washing away the residue of his spilled drink and trying to somehow restart his brain. But he couldn't escape Cas, and the warmth which seemed to run along his spine whenever he was with him was threatening to spread through his fingers and toes, threatening to manifest in a really awkward way. More than threatening. Dean adjusted himself in his jeans with a sigh, and pulled off  his wet shirt. 

_Why did I agree to come in? I should have slept in my car. Fuck, you dumb bastard. Dumb, beautiful, messy-haired, blue-eyed bastard._ The memory of Cas's pink lips sipping from his beer and licking away the lingering drops forced itself back to he forefront of Dean's mind. _Shit._ He rubbed the heel of his palm against the bulge forming in his jeans with a soft moan. One beer was barely enough to have Dean feeling tipsy, but it did lower his self control enough that he gave one more, slow rub through his jeans, biting his lip in order to prevent any sounds from escaping.

He jumped, hand falling guiltily away from his crotch, when he heard some muffled thumps and mumbles coming from the other room. _Fuck._ Dean scrubbed another handful of water on his face before poking his head out of the bathroom, making sure to keep his lower body blocked behind the door. 

"Everything okay?" His voice was a little too husky, but he was lucky his vocal cords didn't shrivel up and die altogether when he saw Cas. Apparently the couch was also a fold-out bed, because there was Cas, on all fours on a mattress while trying to tuck in a clean set of sheets and unknowingly presenting his beautiful, perfectly denim-wrapped ass to Dean for the second time that night. 

Cas looked back over his shoulder, doing a slight double-take when he saw Deans naked torso, before turning back to struggle with the sheets and blankets. "Yup. Just setting you up for the night." Dean couldn't see his face, but his ears were flushed bright red. "I figure I should be the responsible adult here and put you to bed soon." He stood up and stretched his arms over his head, bending from side to side to crack his back. 

Dean watched the accidental show, using his last reserves of self control to keep silent the moan he could feel building in his chest, but he pushed his hips a little harder into the door to relieve some of the pressure. _Fuck it. This isn't going away._ "Do you mind if I take a shower?"

Cas stared at him for a second, half bent over the bed to spread a second blanket. 

"I just still smell like beer. I think it got in my hair." Dean hoped that his desperation wasn't apparent in his voice. .

Cas swallowed. "Yeah. Yeah that's okay."

Dean quickly shut the door behind him with a mumbled "Thanks."

With the door safely closed, Dean let out a heavy sigh and reached over to turn on the shower. When the soft hiss of water filled the room, he was able to unzip his jeans with a soft moan, working them down off his hips, biting his lips at every light brush to the erection which was struggling for freedom from his dark blue boxer briefs. Nearly growling in frustration, Dean struggled out of them and wrapped his palm around his cock as he stepped under the warm spray of water. He shivered at the feeling as his sensory system was momentarily overloaded before he focused on the steady friction of skin on skin. 

He hissed as he brushed a thumb over the straining pink head, gathering a drop of pre come and lifting it to his lips. He closed his eyes and softly sucked his thumb into his mouth, imagining that it was Cas's fingers. Cas staring down at him with wide blue eyes and muttering _How does that taste?_ Cas watching Dean taste himself. Cas stroking himself in his same shower, moaning Dean's name. 

"Cas..." Dean sighed, breathlessly as he returned his hand to his hard cock, teasing himself with slow lingering touches. But something was off. The sensation was both too much and not enough. He scanned the shower and spotted a bottle of shampoo. He poured a small drop onto his hand and suddenly the room was thick with the scent of Cas, that cinnamon smell that always seemed to radiate from the man. _Well that solves one mystery._ Dean's thoughts were oddly conversational as he slicked his hand with the shampoo ( _with Cas's scent_ ) and began thrusting into his fist. "Oh god, Cas." He breathed out a soft moan and braced his spare hand against the tiled walls, hoping that his legs wouldn't give out before he came.  

Dean felt like he was surrounded by Cas. He could smell him. He was there, lingering behind Dean's eyelids, sighing into Dean's skin. Scratching lines into Dean's shoulders as he arched his back to press closer against him. "Oh god. Son of a bitch." Dean's breath was uneven and his voice was breaking, but soft; barely more than a breath. All the warmth in his body seemed to be concentrated at the base of his spine, pulsing and ready to explode. He leaned his back against the wall, never slowing his hand,  and placed a hand over his own mouth to stifle Cas's name which poured through his lips like a prayer. His rhythm faltered and he felt the coils within him loosen. He came with a quiet sigh, jerking slightly as he painted his hand and the glass shower door with stripes of come. 

Panting against the wall in an orgasmic daze, body still twitching periodically, Dean lifted his hand to examine the thick white liquid that clung to his fingers before the stream of water could wash it away. Mind suddenly quiet, even his near-constant internal monologue was satisfied for the moment, Dean could just hear muffled sounds and the faint creak of bedsprings beyond the bathroom door. He jerked away from the wall. _Shit. How long have I been in here?_ His fingertips hadn't gone pruney, which was a promising sign. _This was not one of your better ideas._ But somehow, with his body and mind still buzzing so pleasantly, he couldn't make himself feel too badly about it. 

He grabbed another handful of shampoo and washed himself as quickly as possible, making sure to splash his come off the door. _That would make for an awkward conversation. 'Hey Dean! Any idea how your DNA got smeared all over my shower?' 'Sure Cas! That's because I jacked off thinking about your lips and ass because I'm a horny teenager who can't control my boners in polite company. Sign my book?'_ He thunked his head against the wall twice before reaching to turn off the water. 

He dried off as quickly as he could and pulled on his boxer briefs and Cas's shirt. Perhaps it was a good thing that Dean had lost control and jerked himself off in Cas's shower, otherwise spending the rest of the night wrapped in Cas's scent would have driven him crazy. Plus he managed to expend the frenetic energy that had been sparking through his limbs since Cas first took his keys and pulled him upstairs. _At least now I won't mount the poor guy in his sleep or anything_. He yawned and looked in the mirror, searching his face for any noticeable signs of guilt. Maybe the word masturbator written in sharpie on his forehead. Once he was satisfied with his appearance, he ran his fingers through his hair his hair before picking up his dirty clothes and unlocking the bathroom door. 

Cas was sitting with his back to Dean in his overstuffed chair, looking slightly mussed and frazzled, but engrossed in a novel. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes shone bright.

"Hey, sorry Cas, I think my brain fell asleep in there. I was just staring at the wall for like ten minutes before I remembered that sleep usually happens in beds." Dean chuckled and rubbed at the back of his neck. 

"It is my fault. I should have just let you drive home. You would have been asleep earlier." Cas stood from his chair with a small smile and yeah, it was definitely a good thing that Dean had just jerked off, because Cas was standing before him wearing nothing but a loose pair of pajama pants. Dean felt his dick twitch valiantly as his eyes raked over Cas's torso, particularly the small line of dark hair tracing down his lower abs from his belly button into the waistband of his pants. Pants that, on closer inspection, made it fairly obvious that Cas wasn't wearing underwear beneath them. _Yeah. This is definitely a memory to save for my next shower. Shit, no. We aren't making a habit of this._

Dean composed himself and smiled, "I like your PJs," he said, smiling and pointing redundantly at the large yellow Superman symbols that covered the dark blue fabric.

Cas shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "I like Superman." He edged closer to his bed. "So um... Goodnight?" 

"Goodnight, Cas." Dean slid between his blankets and listened to the rustles and sighs emanating from Cas's bed until sleep finally took him. 

* * *

 

Cas woke up a little before sunrise, as usual. He sighed sadly in the cold morning light and burrowed deeper into his blankets, wishing once again that he were physically capable of sleeping late. Grumbling, he finally threw his covers off and sat up, scratching absently at his mess of hair with a yawn. 

Then he saw Dean. Somewhere in his sleep addled mind he had forgotten stealing Dean's keys and dragging him into his apartment, but there was Dean. He lay face-down on the mattress, with Cas's shirt rucked halfway up his chest and the blankets all kicked to the side. _He wasn't lying about being a weird sleeper._ Cas quietly got out of bed and crept a little closer so he could see Dean's face. _I guess I'm lucky that he didn't sleepwalk out the door or something. He would have frozen to death._ Following that thought, Cas's eyes trailed down Dean's body to his bare legs. They were spread slightly, one foot hanging over the edge of the mattress. Cas swallowed hard. _Yeah. Definitely would have frozen._

Cas jumped back as Dean gave a little moan and rolled onto his side, facing Cas. He watched Dean's face with a smile, happy to see that his friend had finally gotten a few hour to relax. 

_I'll let him sleep a bit. Wake him up with coffee._ Cas nodded to himself and walked to the kitchen. _Or would Dean prefer tea? Wait, how does this thing even work?_

"Cas..." He froze in the middle of reaching into the cupboards as he heard his name, sighed softly from the other room. He almost convinced himself that he was hearing things, when it was repeated with a slight whine. "Cas... Please..."

"Dean?" Cas abandoned his caffeine mission and approached the fold-out bed. "Dean, are you okay?"

Cas crouched next to the bed, resting his chin on the mattress while he watched Dean's face. He was frowning, moving his lips as if he wanted to speak and his hands were grasping at the air in front of him. Unable to resist, Cas reached out a hand to gently brush across Dean's cheek and through his light-brown hair, twirling his fingers through the strands.

He leaned forward slightly, cradling the back of Dean's head in one hand and pressing his lips to Dean's forehead as firmly as he dared. "Shhh... Go to sleep, love." He breathed into Dean's hairline before pressing one more gentle kiss between Dean's eyes. "I'll be right back."

He stood reluctantly and pulled the covers back around Dean's shoulders. He turned to go finish scrounging together something caffeinated for his guest, when a strong hand wrapped around his wrist and tugged him. He fell back onto the mattress with a yelp. 

"Don't go." Cas felt Dean's hot breath ghost over the back of his neck as he pulled their bodies flush. 

* * *

 

"Dean." Cas's voice was a low growl in Dean's ear. 

"Shhhh. Bad Cas." Dean snuggled his nose closer into the pillow his arms were wrapped around. It was a fantastically soft pillow that smelled _wonderful,_ both fruity and spicy at the same time. 

"Dean. You need to wake up." There was a hint of panicked breathlessness in Cas's voice. 

"Cas..." Dean half whined, half moaned his name. "Sleep now. Noise later."

"Dean. Just open your eyes for a second."

Dean reluctantly cracked an eyelid. 

He was pressed from chin to knee against Cas's back, nuzzling into the brunet's naked shoulder. His right arm was wrapped around Cas's stomach, pulling him close and thumb rubbing small circles into the hair just below his belly button. One of Dean's knees was partially pressed between Cas's and their feet were tangled together.  Dean froze. "Umm..."

Cas chuckled nervously and pulled away from Dean's loosened grip and glanced over his shoulder to look Dean in the eyes. "You weren't lying about sleep talking and walking."

Dean felt the blood drain from his face. "What did I say?"

Cas sat up, keeping his back angled at Dean, but looking into his eyes with no hint of shame or derision other than the light pink shade coloring his ears and cheeks. "It's coffee time." He avoided answering Dean's question. "I was trying to wake you up to see if you wanted some, and you decided I was a body pillow."

"Cas. I am so sorry." Dean sat up as well, speaking as slowly and seriously as he could. His hands were laid out, trembling slightly on the blankets between them and he stared at Cas imploringly.

Cas waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine. You know? You warned me about your... unique sleep habits when we first met. It's not a problem at all." He cleared his throat and leaned his elbows forward onto his knees, repeating, "Not a problem."

Dean continued to stare at him. The slender muscles of his back rippled beautifully in the morning half-light and Dean ached to press himself back against him and return to the warm nest of blankets they had been nestled beneath. _Son of a bitch, his skin. Touch him again, you idiot! Just grab him. Taste him. Touch him._ "So coffee? Let me brew you up something as an apology?"

Cas's eyes brightened and he nodded, pointing towards the kitchen. "I may have already gotten out my... Coffee brewer thing... I'm not actually sure how to use it. All the beans I own are in the top left cabinet. I don't know what those do either." He grinned at Dean, crinkling his eyes and showing of that straight row of beautiful white teeth.

"You son of a bitch," Dean chuckled as he stood up and entered the kitchen. "You just want me to be your personal coffee slave. Now I see why you kidnapped me." 

"Mhm..." Cas agreed absently, still sitting slightly hunched on the bed. Dean was too busy judging the quality of Cas's coffee choices to notice the way Cas's eyes were boring into his body, from the slightly too-small borrowed t-shirt to his naked bowed legs. His gaze lingered on the navy blue boxer briefs which clung to each and every curve Dean possessed. 

Cas cleared his throat. "Hey, I've got to go get ready. I have author stuff. It's important. Are you good out here?"

Dean spared a glance over his shoulder and nodded. 

Cas smiled and darted up to he bathroom when Dean turned his back. "Cool. I'm just gonna hop in the shower real quick. Thanks!" The door slammed behind him and Dean leaned against the counter while the coffee brewed. He decided to just make a simple, but delicious, coffee for Cas that morning, mainly because that's what Dean needed to get his own brain going.

Or maybe to stop his brain from going. Dean rubbed his hands over his face and groaned. He needed a distraction otherwise he was going to end up on his knees in Cas's kitchen, frantically stroking his cock until the memory of soft cinnamon and watermelon scented skin pressed against his chest and hands had been forgotten. That could take awhile. _Health code violation._

* * *

 

When Cas emerged from the bathroom, Dean had just set out two plates of eggs and was pouring the coffee. Dean had pulled on his jeans, finally realizing that maybe cooking breakfast in his underwear crossed some boundaries, but still wore Cas's shirt which fit just a little too snug around his shoulders and chest. 

"Dean..." Cas smiled at him as he slid into one of his tall bar stools, far more relaxed after his shower. "So do you cook breakfast for all your kidnappers?"

Dean grinned sheepishly as he handed Cas his coffee and sat next to him. "Yeah, well you put up with sleep-me's sleep snuggles, so that earned you some apology eggs from awake-Dean. Besides, you have 'important author stuff' to do today. Eat up."

Cas smiled, staring fondly at Dean for several long moments. "This wouldn't be you procrastinating on your papers, would it?"

Dean felt his cheeks begin to flush.  "Shut up. Just eat your damn eggs."

* * *

 

They parted reluctantly. Dean itched to wrap his arms around Cas's shoulders and burrow his nose back into the crook of his neck, but he settled on an awkward wave as he descended the stairs. Between work and studying, if he touched him again Dean was sure he would find an excuse to stay. Dean just couldn't afford to hang around Cas all day. _Fuck you, finals. Fuck you so hard._ He didn't even have time to drive home and change before he had to head to the library. So if Dean's head was pleasantly buzzing throughout his study session, he chose to believe that it had nothing to do with the borrowed shirt he was wearing, or the memory of his hands pressed tight against Cas's abdomen. 

And if Cas was smiling slightly and scribbling frantically in his notebook, eyes alive with inspiration and absently rubbing at his neck, it had nothing to do with the sarcastic grad student-barista whose nose and lips had been pressed there just hours before.

Neither would ever admit it, but they couldn't wait for Dean's next shift at The Devil's Brew. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be 3000 words of fluff, but then porn and unexpected Cas POV fluff happened, so enjoy a chapter that's almost twice the length of some others? This was actually one of the easiest chapters to write and edit, and I thought about splitting it in two, but it all works so well together. I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer. :) I hope you guys enjoy! it's getting steamier!
> 
> Seriously though, I don't know if I could make this fluffier or burn slower if I tried. Just so you guys are aware of my method, every time tension builds up between the boys and it seems like a good idea to let them kiss, I decide to put it off until the next chapter. And then when writing the next chapter, I put it off again, and so on. Muahaha. But I'm more than willing to give you all sleep-cuddles and pillow fights and "private shower time" until the frantic making out and desperate fingers pulling at hair gets involved (because we all know that's how it's going to end.) Anyway, Ruby and Sam meet next chapter!
> 
> Oh ps: this had previously been rated teen... I figure Dean's shower interlude should increase that a bit. I moved it up to mature, but should it be rated explicit yet? It's going to get there at some point, but I don't think it's there yet...


	9. Idiots

Ruby was singing along softly with the radio at the Devil's Brew, wiping down the counters and ignoring the glares of nearby caffeine addicts. She peeked over at Cas and Dean sitting on their couch in the back. Dean was stealing glances over at Cas while frantically typing up his last term paper. Cas was utterly oblivious, but occasionally his eyes would fall on Dean's fingers tapping away on the keyboard and he would smile before looking back to his notebook. _Idiots,_ she smiled down at the counter as she scrubbed at a persistent stain.

"Psst."

Ruby looked around but there wasn't anyone standing at the counter. Just as she turned back to her work, a large hand raised above the counter and waved her over. She frowned and glanced around, grabbing a solid metal spatula as she cautiously approached the counter. 

"I'm armed," she whispered, raising the spatula slightly as she peered over the counter. 

She definitely wasn't expecting to see a mess of brunet hair and framing a dimpled smile and hazel eyes peering up at her.

"Hey."

"Hi," she responded. A smile quirked at her lips, but she kept a hand on the spatula. _Just because he's cute doesn't mean he's not crazy._ "Can I help you?"

"Are you seriously going to whack me with a spatula?" His smile widened, accentuating his dimples. 

She quirked an eyebrow and leaned her elbows onto the counter. "Are you going to keep being a freak?"

He raised a finger to his lips with a playful sparkle in his eyes, shushing her. "What can you tell me about the scruffy dude over there with Dean?"

Ruby sighed and leaned back. _The cute ones are always crazy or gay. Stupid gorgeous Dean caught one that's both._ "I'm sorry, weirdo. I don't know what disturbing obsession you have with Dean, but stalking isn't love. Anyway, they have a thing." She stood up and returned her spatula to its rightful place, sending clear signals that the conversation was over. 

The brunet was persistent though, peeking his eyes up over the lip of the counter. "A thing?"

"Yeah, a thing." Ruby tucked a stray hair behind her ear and shrugged. "Like an 'unresolved eyefucking for hours on end' thing. If you try to ruin my one source of entertainment before the big romantic climax, I will get the spatula back out."

He whistled softly and sank back below the counter, turning to lean his back against the cupboards. "Very informative."

Ruby hoped that if she ignored him, he would leave, but he just sat there below her line of sight. After a few minutes, and strange looks from actual paying customers who came through her till, she leaned back over the counter with a sigh. "Look, if you aren't going to leave, do you at least want a coffee or something?"

He grinned up at her. "If I say yes, will you tell me more about this unresolved eyefucking my brother is involved in with Scruffy?"

_Brother?_ "Sammy?"

He grimaced. "It's Sam. Sammy is a chubby twelve year old."

Ruby ignored him. "Dean didn't tell you about Angel-face?" A manic grin tugged at her lips. "Oh Sammy, we have so much to talk about."

She shooed him to a couch around the corner where Dean wouldn't spot him and hurried to pour two coffees. Hesitating for a second, she snagged a poppyseed muffin before balancing everything and joining Sam. 

He stared at her in rapt anticipation, leaning toward her slightly. She smiled at him at ripped off a chunk of her muffin to nibble on. 

"So?"

"So you saw them canoodling on the couch, right?"

"Who didn't?"

"Neither one has the slightest clue how obvious they are. And both are fairly sure that the other is either straight or not interested."

Sam stared at her incredulously. "Are they idiots?"

"Welcome to the saga of Dean and Cas." Ruby kicked off her flats and pulled her feet up onto the couch. "A whole lot of suspense and so far very little payoff. I'm pretty sure that sexual tension is going to injure them when it finally snaps. At least that's one explanation for why they'll be limping the next day."

"Jesus." Sam laughed and smoothed his hair back out of his eyes, rubbing the heel of his palm against his forehead. "I was not prepared for that mental image. Warn a guy next time, will you?"

"Don't be such a pansy."

"Who the hell are you anyway?"

Ruby smirked and offered a hand for Sam to shake. "I'm Ruby. Crappy barista and bored best friend extraordinaire! I can't believe Dean hasn't told you about me! Can't shut him up about baby-bro Sammy."

Sam covered his smile, taking a sip of coffee. "He has. Mentioned you, that is. I just wasn't expecting... you." Before she had a chance to digest that comment, he asked, "So what do you do?"

"Sammy... I'm a barista." She spoke slowly and glanced pointedly at the coffee in his hands. 

Sam flushed. "No! God, I meant at school. What year are you?"

"Oh." She felt a little shy all of a sudden. "I'm a sophomore, I guess. I'm still undeclared, but I've been taking a lot of classes in history, so I'll probably go with that."

"That sounds fun!" The dimples were back with a vengeance. "What emphasis?"

"I'm thinking military history?" Ruby dropped her eyes to her mug to avoid staring too long at Sam's smile. _Fucking Winchesters, man. I bet the government is breeding them for romantic comedies and pornos._ "I mean, I haven't even started coursework but wars are the most interesting parts of history, yeah?"

"I'm more interested in the politics, honestly." Sam scooted a little closer to Ruby, hands moving energetically as he tried to make his point. "Think about it, the cause and solution to every conflict between nations lies with the government and lawmakers."

"Just what I would expect from Dean's lawyer little bro." She reached across the small space between them and ruffled his hair. "You may be right, but give me the guns and explosions over old white men arguing." She laughed at Sam's attempts to smooth his bangs out of his eyes. "Honestly though, the politics and laws and motives are interesting, but it's the personal stories that really matter. Like friendships forged by fire, letters written to loved ones back home, and just the day to day life of the human beings who were affected by and lived with the laws and politics their 'betters' inflicted upon them. That's what I want to focus on." Ruby trailed off, realizing that she had been ranting a little. 

Sam had a thoughtful look on his face. "I never really thought about it that way."

Ruby shifted uncomfortably on the couch, eager to change the subject. "So what got you into law?"

Sam smiled a little sadly. "Has Dean ever told you about our dad?"

"Yeah, he runs a junk-yard and body shop back in Kansas, right?"

Sam chuckled. "Yeah that's what Dean would say. That's Bobby. He's been raising us since we were kids. The guy's a genius. Taught Dean everything he knows about fixing cars, and taught us both Latin. I'm pretty sure he's the reason Dean's in classics." He paused. "Our real dad is what got me into law, I guess."

Sam lapsed into silence, and he stared into the cold dregs of coffee at the bottom of his mug. 

Ruby wasn't sure what the situation was, but her attempt at changing the subject had sure as hell been a poor one. Nevertheless, she couldn't help wondering what could make Sam, who had so far been a gigantic ball of smiling sunshine, so unsure of how to proceed. _Well, I sure as hell wouldn't want to talk about my dad. Way to fail at conversation, Ruby._

The mood had grown far too serious. Ruby  resorted to the most interesting non sequitur she had in hopes that it would relieve the tension that had built in Sam's broad shoulders. "Dean slept over at Cas's house last week!"

"Wait, what?" Sam was startled out of his reverie by this new information. 

_Success!_ "Yup. Dean drives him home every night after they hang out here, and last week Dean showed up for work in one of Cas's shirts. Spent his whole shift spacing out and sighing."

"I thought you said they weren't at that level yet!" 

"Please, Sammy." She rolled her eyes. "I know Dean. He and Cas have been my main source of entertainment for the last month. There is no way they hooked up. They are both gigantic pansies. They could be shirtless, spooning in bed together and Dean would still somehow convince himself that it was somehow platonic. It's like the Cold fucking War, but with secret boners instead of nuclear weapons. And mutually assured orgasms rather than death and destruction." 

"Again with the vivid imagery." Sam's body was quaking with laughter. "Come on, Ruby, that's my brother we're talking about."

She ignored the small thrill that went up her spine when he focused his smile on her, and simply returned it. 

"So how do we get my idiot brother and his idiot boyfriend to hook up?"

"Ay, there's the rub. They don't even really hang out outside of the cafe yet, aside from Dean driving him home. Caffeine just makes them more tense and on edge around each other, plus finals aren't helping Dean's seduction levels." She gnawed on her lower lip, staring out the window for several long moments before her eyes widened and she breathed a soft "oh."

"What?"

Ruby's smile took on a wicked gleam as leaned closer to him on the couch and lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Sammy, I have the most brilliant plan."

"Do tell, commander." He gave a cheeky salute.

"This method is 99.9% guaranteed to bring emotionally constipated idiots out of their shells and 76.4% likely to end in either nudity or making out. Or punching."

"Where the hell are you getting these stats?"

"Science."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Out with it, Ruby."

"We need to get them drunk."

"Genius."

* * *

 

Dean felt a sudden chill run down his spine and looked around suspiciously. Nothing seemed to be amiss, though Ruby had gone missing from her post behind the counter. _Damnit Ruby._ He took off his glasses, rubbing at his tired eyes as if it would make them work better, and turned to Cas. The brunet had a pencil tucked behind each ear in addition to the one in his hand. Cas always insisted that someone was taking his pencils, grumbling as he sharpened a new one. Dean meant to tell him, but he had fallen a little in love with the embarrassed glares Cas shot around the cafe when he finally found all his lost pencils stashed in his hair at the end of the night. 

"Do you want another or should I switch you to decaf?" Dean quirked an eyebrow at Cas's empty mug. 

Cas looked up and smiled. "Does my preference have any bearing on your decision right now?"

Dean's eyes traced from the lines of concentration which had etched themselves between Cas's brows down to the dark smudges beneath his eyes. "Fair point. Two sleepy-time teas, coming up."

As he scrounged below the counter for tea bags, he shot a glare around his workspace. Just as he was thinking, _Where the hell did Ruby get to_ , he heard a laugh softly echoing from around the corner. 

Dean leaned across the counter and craned his neck, spotting Ruby curled up on the couch, making wild gesticulations at a gangly boy seated next to her.

He glared as he made his way around the counter. _Damnit Ruby. I don't care how cute he is, you are supposed to be working._ He conveniently ignored the fact that he was still technically on the clock, yet had been periodically bumping his knee against Cas's for the last hour and a half. 

As he rounded the corner, he was able to see Ruby's friend a bit more clearly. There was something so familiar about that floppy brown hair and goofy smile...

"Sammy?" The word escaped him in a soft exhale, earning the attention of the two on the couch. Dean stared dumbly between his brother and coworker for a few moments before breaking into a wide smile. "Sammy! I thought you were getting in tomorrow!"

Sam extricated his long limbs from the couch and stood, wrapping his arms around his brother in a tight hug. "I flew in early to observe you in your natural habitat."

"So what to you think?" Dean released Sam with a final slap on the back. 

Sam shot a sly smile back at Ruby before grinning widely at Dean. "A bit to early to say. I've been talking to your lovely coworker here," Ruby gave a sardonic bow, "and my, the things I've heard."

A chill shot down Dean's spine when Sam's eyes focused on someone standing behind him and he shoved Dean out of the way. _Fuck. Don't be Cas. Don't be Cas. Pleasedon'tbeCas._

"This must be Cas!"

_Fuck._ He glared at Ruby, who laughed in his face and stood to carry the dirty mugs into the kitchen. 

The amused confusion on Cas's face as he watched the proceedings turned to fear and shock as a 6'4" man suddenly wrapped his arms around him, lifting him an inch or two off the floor. 

"I've heard so much about you, Castiel! Thanks for taking care of my brother."

Cas coughed slightly when Sam released him, finally able to fill his lungs properly. "He's easy to take care of. You must be Sammy." 

Sam gave an eloquent sigh and rolled his eyes at Dean. "It's Sam. A word of advice: don't ever listen to Dean. He's full of shit and has an annoying penchant for nicknames."

Cas laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

Dean looked back at the two as he ducked into the back to clock out for the night, still on high alert but warmed by the fact that they seemed to be getting along. _Don't want your boyfriend and brother to hate each other,_ a traitorous part of his mind supplied, which he immediately squashed.  "He's just a friend..." Dean muttered to himself as he traded the apron for his brown leather jacket. 

"Well, I could use a friend like that."

Dean jumped and whirled around to glare at Ruby, who was leaning on the door frame. "I told you to stop doing that! It's fucking creepy." Dean turned back to his locker to shoved his books and laptop into his bag, sulking. 

"Hey, I'm just doing the dishes like a diligent coffee-slave." She shrugged and pushed herself out of the break room and into the kitchen. "Tell your boyfriend I said bye."

Dean walked back into the cafe, muttering darkly about uppity managers and where exactly she could shove those dishes, before rounding the corner and spotting Sam and Cas. 

Cas was nearly doubled in half, laughing so hard he was wiping tears from his eyes while Sam was waving his hands around, telling a story that was clearly fascinating. 

Dean sighed, long and ever-suffering as he came to stand next to them. He knew this wasn't going to end in his favor. "Which one?" he asked, voice dead of any emotion or inflection. 

Cas answered between giggles and gasps for breath. "The one with the cat in the locker. Oh god, did you really scream?"

"Like a girl," Sam replied. "For a good 15 seconds. Then he flailed around for a bit before running away."

Dean ground his knuckles into his forehead where he could feel a headache brewing. "Okay, it was dark and creepy, and those things can be vicious." Cas stared at him with a raised eyebrow for several seconds before dissolving once more into giggles. 

Dean glared even harder at Sam, hoping that his face wasn't as red as it felt. "Yeah well Sam is scared of clowns. We all have our burdens. Are we ready?"

"Yeah. Yes." Cas managed to compose himself slightly, limiting himself to a few chuckles as he moved back towards their couch. "Let me just grab my stuff."

As soon as Cas scurried off to gather his books, Dean socked Sam right in the tender part of his shoulder. "Dude, not cool. Get in the car."

Sam laughed, rubbing at his shoulder. "Nah, I'm gonna hang out here. Swing back by after you take Cas home."

Dean squinted at Sam, not trusting the overly open and innocent look on his face.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I'd just rather hang out with Ruby than watch you and Cas make moon-eyes at each other, okay?"

Dean suddenly leaned closer and hissed, " _You shut the fuck up right now_." His tone became much friendlier as Cas walked up, bag slung over his shoulder. "Heeey!" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ready to go?"

"Yes." Cas growled in response, voice still heavy with suppressed laughter. 

Dean glared one more time at his brother before clapping Cas on the shoulder and leading the way towards the exit. 

"Hey Cas, wait a second!" Cas turned as Sam called out to him, and Dean just barely suppressed the urge to grab Cas's hand and yank him out the door away from Sam "Ruby and I were planning to take Dean out tomorrow night to celebrate the end of finals. Do you want to come?"

"Oh..." Cas turned to look at Dean, who glared suspiciously at Sam before meeting Cas's gaze with an eager look on his face. 

"Yeah, it will be fun to get out of the coffee shop for once. If you aren't busy?"

"No no! I'm free. I have a meeting earlier, but I'll be done by happy hour."

Dean grinned. "Good. I mean, it will be fun."

"Yeah, it will be fun."

"Good." They stared at each other for a few moments with loopy grins on their faces. 

Ruby sidled up to Sam and whispered, "Could they be any more adorably oblivious?"

Sam leaned over to reply softly in her ear. "Seriously. I'm getting cavities. How has this been going on for a month?"

"Okay, I'm gonna drive him home." Dean interrupted their whisperings as he and Cas moved towards the door. "Try not to burn the place down until I get back."

The door closed behind Cas and Dean, leaving Sam and Ruby alone in the Cafe. 

"So where are we going to take them?"

"Dean and I go out to the roadhouse sometimes. My brother and I are friends with the owners so there's no issues getting in."

"I was wondering how we were going to get around the whole 'underage' thing."

"You're gonna love it there!" They smiled at each other awkwardly for a few seconds before Ruby cleared her throat. "So do you want a drink while you wait?"

"Sure!" He trailed after her as she walked behind the counter. 

"Hey, you aren't supposed to come back here!" 

"Why not?" Sam tilted his head to one side, looking so much like an oversized puppy that Ruby wanted to pat his head.

"Well... You don't even know how to make coffee."

"So teach me!"

"You seriously want to learn to brew coffee? You need to dream up some bigger goals." She laughed as Sam gave her the most over-the-top puppy eyes she had ever seen. "Okay, okay. What's your favorite drink."

"Hmm... Pumpkin laté?"

"You're about a month late for the pumpkin craze. We ran out last week."

"Damn. Okay, how about a Cappuccino?"

"I suppose you can probably handle that."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Your confidence in me in humbling."

Ruby quickly demonstrated the steps: frothing the milk, brewing the espresso and combining them into a rich mug of perfection. 

"Alright. Your turn!" Ruby smirked at Sam and hopped up to her usual spot by the espresso machine, cradling her cappuccino in her hands. Even seated up so high, Sam was several inches taller than her. 

Sam worked quietly for a few minutes, trying to remember the steps. Ruby watched his long fingers work the handles and levers on the steamer. 

"Dean would be a better teacher," she mused, kicking her heels against the counter as she watched Sam glare suspiciously at the buttons and levers on the machine. "I don't know what he does, but his espresso is always way better than mine."

"I just don't get him sometimes," Sam said, still glaring at the machine. 

"How do you mean?"

"So get this... Let's say I were a guy who-"

"I guess I can try to picture that, though it is a stretch."

Sam laughed and nudged her playfully with his elbow. "Shut up, Ruby. Say I were _someone_ who met someone I really liked."

She hid her smile with a sip of coffee. "I'm following so far."

"I mean, Dean and Cas were all lovey-dovey staring matches since the first time they met, right?"

Ruby chuckles. "Worse than you can even imagine. So?"

"So, why wait?" Sam finished brewing the espresso and awkwardly poured it into a cup along with the steamed milk.

Ruby reached over and sprinkled a little cinnamon on top to finish the drink off, avoiding looking into his eyes. "I'm not sure. Maybe he's an idiot."

"I'm sure he is." Sam laughed and took a tentative sip from his cappuccino. "Bluh. That is disgusting."

"It takes some practice," Ruby laughed. "We can work on it the next time you come in."

"Ugh. I think I'll just stick with yours." Sam reached out and plucked Ruby's mug from her hands, smirking at her surprised expression as he took a sip. 

"Honestly, I wish Dean had just asked Angel-face out when he first came into the cafe." Ruby struggled to keep her voice steady when Sam's eyes flicked down to her lips.

"It definitely would have saved some time." Sam placed the mug on the counter, fingertips brushing against Ruby's. 

"I guess some idiots just don't know when to make a move." Ruby looked up into Sam's hazel eyes and held his gaze, almost challenging him. 

"I guess not." Sam's hands rested on the counter on either side of her thighs.

The soft buzz of Sam's phone startled them both, breaking the tension that had built between their bodies. Sam reluctantly pulled his eyes away from Ruby's to snatch his phone off the counter. 

_I'm outside. Lets go._

"Looks like Dean is here." He looked up at Ruby apologetically. 

She sighed and leaned closer to read the message. "He sounds grumpy. We probably teased him too much today."

Sam chuckled and reluctantly stepped away from the pleasant heat of Ruby's body. "Probably. I should head out."

"Hold on." She slipped off the counter and loaded a slice of pie from the pastry case into a small to-go box. "Buy his love with food. It usually works for me."

"You really do know him well." He waved awkwardly and headed towards the door, already beating himself up for missing his opportunity. _Rule number one, Sam: don't check your damn phone when hanging out with pretty girls._ He fought the urge to whack himself him in the face.

But then Ruby's small hand wrapped around his elbow and tugged him back. While he was momentarily frozen in surprise, she stood up on her toes to press a soft kiss to his cheek before laughing and shoving him towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow night, Sammy."

Sam stumbled to the Impala with a goofy smile, clutching pie in his hands and suddenly thinking that maybe Sammy wasn't such a bad nickname after all. 

* * *

 

AC/DC blared on the Impala's radio. Dean sang along softly, steering through the streets almost on instinct, as if the Impala were an extension of his body instead of a car. It shouldn't have been so relaxing, but to Sam, the Dean's off-key singing, the smell of the leather seats and the wind rushing by the window felt like home. 

"So you and Cas..." Sam finally broached the comfortable silence. 

Dean kept his eyes fixed on the road, but stopped singing. "You shut up right now or you are sleeping on the sidewalk."

Sam laughed and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay okay. We don't have to talk about your pretty, blue-eyed boyfriend." Sam ignored how Dean's knuckles had turned white where they were wrapped around the steering wheel. "So Ruby then."

Dean spared a glance from the road to roll his eyes at Sam. "Don't even think about it, Sammy."

"What? I was just asking!"

"Ruby is amazing, but Nick is the devil. You hurt his little sister and he will rip off your skin and wear you like a prom dress." He thought for a moment. "And I might let him."

"Since when do I travel the world breaking hearts? It's not like I have magical junk that kills every girl who touches it."

"If Nick hears you talking about your junk and Ruby in the same sentence..."

"Shut up Dean, I'm serious."

Dean sighed. "Me too, man. I just.... Don't rush into anything okay?"

"Dean." Sam rubbed his eyes, talking quietly but purposefully. "It's been almost two years since Jess. I'm okay. And Ruby just... She's funny."

A light flush covered Sam's cheeks as he stared down at his hands, and an involuntary smile softened his annoyance.

Dean fought back his own smile and gave a small shrug. _Eh. Worse things have happened._ "Just don't fuck up my cushy work environment more than you already have. " He released one hand from the wheel and landed a firm punch on Sam's shoulder. 

Sam swatted his hand away with a laugh. "Jerk."

"Bitch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was watching season 6 episode 2 when Sam and Dean have to take care of the shapeshifter baby, and there's that part when someone asks the boys what the kid's name is. Dean says Bobby, Sammy says John. They both named the kid after the man they consider their own father, which inspired some of Sam and Dean's backstory (more backstory will come out eventually. I didn't want a huge plotty info-dump in this chapter) I mean, as much as Sam and John didn't get along, I think the show makes it clear how alike they are. And Bobby is the one who didn't treat Dean like "daddy's blunt little instrument" and would take him out to play ball instead of shooting. Anyway. I have lots of Dad!Bobby feels. 
> 
> Anyway, hi everyone! I suck at updating apparently. I'm sorry this took so long. It was a bit of a challenge working on how to write Sam and Ruby's relationship, plus I wanted to actually start advancing the plot a bit instead of having endless slow-burn fluff. But never fear, the fluff shall continue after we move the story forward a bit, with the added benefit of Sam/Ruby fluff! I also already have the "drinking to celebrate the end of finals" chapter largely outlined so I am planning to update a little quicker this time as an apologize to you all for making you wait so long. Also, if any of your are purely reading this for the Destiel, I hope you don't mind that they barely showed up in this chapter. Next chapter will be good though!See you all in a few weeks and I hope you liked it!


	10. Some Kind of Joke

Harvelle's Roadhouse was a beat-up, hole-in-the-wall pub on the outskirts of town. It was  the sort of neon and smoke lit bar which had been around so long it seemed to blend into its surroundings. Dean had probably driven past the place a hundred times without noticing before Nick and Ruby dragged him in to celebrate the end of his first shift.

Dean pushed his way through the door, letting himself be enveloped in the familiar warmth and noise of the bar. Sam bounced in after him, peering excitedly through the neon-lit gloom of the bar.

Dean laughed and clapped is brother on the shoulder. "You're lucky I know the owners, 'cause you've got underage written all over you. Go find Ruby. I'm just gonna go say hi to Ellen. It's been ages and she'll shoot me if I bring minors in without at least giving her a heads up."

After a short wait at the bar, followed by a warm hug and chat with the owner, Dean tiptoed towards the back, carefully balancing three over-filled pints of beer. He followed the sound of Sam's voice to a dimly lit and secluded booth where Sam was snuggled up close with a petite brunette. "Oh god, are you guys going to be one of those same-side-of-the-booth couples?" He plopped down on the free seat, smirking at the bright red flush on Sam's cheeks.

"W-we're not a--!"

Ruby interrupted Sam's denial, simply scooching closer. "Just wanted to give you and Cas enough space in case any more 'accidental spooning' occurs."

"I'll show you... spooning... You know what, just drink your damn beer." He shoved their drinks across the table and took a hefty gulp of his own.

"Dean, For shame!" Ruby smirked over the lip of her glass. "Underage drinking is a serious offense."

"Shaddup, smartass."

Sam had nothing to add, and seemed to fall deeper into a euphoric daze each time Ruby leaned in close to him.

* * *

 

"So there he is, completely covered in glitter like some PCP-crazed stripper, chasing the clowns around the yard with one of Bobby's crowbars."

Sam was bright red, and Ruby breathless with laughter, pounding on the table. "Oh my god." She choked out. "Did he catch them?"

Dean chuckled and ignored another surreptitious kick from Sam under the table. _That's right, baby bro. I have the power to destroy you._ "Nah, they kept throwing glitter at him and he ended up curled up on the lawn crying and muttering 'if it bleeds you can kill it.'"

"Oh Sammy. You are too precious for words." Ruby tousled Sam's hair, her fingers lingering in its silky length for a heartbeat too long, softening Sam's death glare.

"Yeah, they wouldn't let me plan Sammy's birthdays after that." Dean watched the comfortable flirtation between his brother and best friend with fondness. The prospective romance had worried him at first. After all, considering both of their pasts the last thing Dean wanted was to see either of them hurt again, but their easy camaraderie and instant chemistry were hard to argue with. Now that he could see how good they would be together, he was  actually kinda pissed that he hadn't thought of it before. Hell, as long as she kept making him blush and he kept making her laugh, Dean was happy to see what they could do. There was always room for another regular at Devils Brew, and hopefully Nick would get used to Sam hanging around his sister without having to drag him to the depths of hell as punishment. Hopefully.

Dean's eyes flicked from the prospective lovebirds to the door for what was probably the sixtieth time that hour as the tell-tale squeak of rusty old door hinges cut through the music coming from the jukebox. But it was just a couple of guys, mechanics by the look of them, stopping in for a beer after a long day in the garage.

"I'm sure he's on his way, Dean."

_He? He who? I'm not waiting for anyone. You're waiting for someone._ Dean thought stubbornly, uncomfortable with the borderline pity he saw in Ruby's eyes. "Yeah yeah." He sighed before sliding out of the booth and making his way to the recently vacated dart board. "No chick flick moments. Come on guys. Loser buys drinks."

* * *

 

Many beers later, Dean was waiting at the bar, resigned to a night of buying the drinks after losing too many games of darts. He smiled down at the bar, remembering how Ruby had leapt into Sam's arms for a high five and victory hug after Dean's final loss. He felt warm, and his body was buzzing pleasantly, but his thoughts kept dragging him back to bright blue eyes peering up at him though dark lashes. He pulled out his phone again to check the time. _Two hours late. With no text._ Dean sighed, raking his fingers through his hair before scrolling through his old texts. _Maybe I pissed him off. Or he's in a tunnel with no service. Why would he be in a tunnel for this long? Maybe he's dead in a tunnel with no service. Otherwise he would have given me a heads up. Yeah. Definitely dead in a tunnel. He'll text me when he has service again._

"Hello Dean." Cas's soft, gravely voice resonated in Dean's ears for a moment before he looked up.

"Cas?"

He met Dean's shocked expression with a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry I'm late. My meeting ran a bit long."

"No worries, Cas! I've just been babysitting the minors." He waved the bartender over. "Can I get you a drink?" Dean's voice sounded over-bright and frenetic even to his own ears. He tried to scale back a bit. "How was the meeting?"

Cas reached up and loosened his tie. He was wearing the same awkwardly fitting suit and crooked tie that Dean had seen several weeks earlier when they had gone out for breakfast burgers together. "It was stressful. I was telling him where I'm at with the new book. And, well, I'm introducing a new relationship that may be a bit controversial and he just... It just went far longer than I was expecting." He rested his hand on Dean's shoulder, peering deeply into his eyes. "I am so very sorry Dean. I would have texted, but my publisher and I were arguing, and..." Cas trailed off. Dean could feel a slight tremble in Cas's hand, feel the warmth of his palm radiating onto his skin so hot that Dean would not have been surprised to find the handprint burned onto his flesh. "I... I was worried you weren't going to be here anymore."

_Does he ever blink? Does he know what ungodly power those eyes have over me?_ Dean finally felt the tension fall out of his shoulders after a few long moments gazing into Cas's earnest blue eyes. "No harm done Cas." _It's dangerous, how easy you are to forgive_ , he added silently. Dean smiled and slung his arm over Cas's shoulders, dragging him closer to his seat at the bar. He leaned in close, Cas's hair tickling his lips as he whispered softly "But you are buying the next few rounds."

Dean essentially skipped back to their booth with a scowling Cas in tow, smiling wide at Sam and Ruby. "Look who I found!"

Sam and Ruby exchanged a look, before each turned predatory smiles on Cas.

"How nice of you to join us, Cassie."  
"Yeah, Angel, not like a text would have been nice or anything."  
"Yeah, we love getting stood up on Friday nights."

"Not like we would worry about you or anything."  
"Dean lost like eight rounds of darts."  
The wide-eyed, beseeching look on Cas's face as he turned to Dean for rescue was so  adorable, Dean considered just leaving him to their derision, but he decided to rescue his little author instead. "Back off, you jackals. He brought a peace offering."

Dean and Cas settled four large snifters of fine aged whiskey on the table. "It's top shelf stuff. Now drink."

Ruby sipped hers thoughtfully, still glaring at Cas over the rip of her glass, until the amber liquid warmed her from the inside. "Shit, that is good. I guess I'll forgive you for now."

Sam grunted in agreement as he sipped, one arm slung comfortably over Ruby's shoulders, snuggling her closer. Cas took notice and quirked an eyebrow at Dean, who just grinned and shrugged back in silent response.

"I am truly sorry for my tardiness," he said when his and Dean's eyebrows had finished their conversation. "But drinks are on me for the rest of the night, and I want to hear all about your finals. Any casualties?"

Ruby grinned. "Nah. I'm still mainly taking GEs, so as long as I show up for class all semester, I know enough to pass finals. I think I'll be ready to officially start working on my major coursework next semester."

Sam hesitated for a moment leaning down to press a chaste kiss to her temple. "Good job." He straightened back up almost robotically and finished his glass. He was obviously taking advantage of the liquid courage warming his veins, but Dean wished he could have taken a picture of the shy smile and blush that lit up Ruby's face.

_Way to go Sammy!_ Dean glanced over at Cas, and nearly did a spit take when he realized that Cas was looking at Ruby and Sam like they were two small puppies who had just done something particularly adorable.

Sam was looking all-too pleased with himself, so Dean decided to carry on and talk to Cas as if nothing had happened. "I think I did okay? I mean, it was mainly papers and stuff, and I know I knocked those out of the park. But Greek? I dunno." Dean rubbed at the back of his neck. "I guess I'm just hoping to get the credits I need in Greek and then never look at it again. I miss reading the stuff I'm passionate about."

"Yeah, I remember those days." Cas leaned in to Dean and raised his glass. "To the joys of academia."

Dean laughed and clinked glasses with him, breaking eye contact as turned aside to take a sip.

"No no no!" Cas snatched the glass from Dean's hand.

"The hell, Cas?"

"Don't you know anything about how to toast?"

"Well rule number one: no dry cheers. Which you are now forcing me to break so I think  you should go stand in the corner and think about what you've--"

"Well yeah, everyone knows that rule." Cas smiled, a mischievous light in his eyes. "But I  just saved you. You have to maintain complete eye contact until you swallow, or else you will be cursed with 7 years of unsatisfying sex."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Dean tried to ignore the way Cas’s lips seemed to wrap around the word ‘swallow.’

"I swear to god." Cas placed one hand over Dean's heart. "I, Castiel Novak, just saved you, Dean Winchester from the most horrid of fates. However will you repay me?"

Dean licked his lips. Cas's intense glare was boring into his own eyes, and he did not know whether to attribute the warmth in his body to the stack of empty glasses in front of him or the soft brush of Cas's long, delicate fingers against his chest. _Come home with me tonight and I'll pay you back in full._ The response died on Dean's tongue as he sat breathless and speechless in Cas's grasp. Cas trailed his fingers absently along Dean's collarbone as he pulled away to dig in one of the huge pockets of his trench coat.

"Read this and we are even." Cas said with a grin as he thumped a thick book onto the table.

The loud thump pulled Dean from the heavy-lidded dreamlike trance Cas had put him in, but it took his eyes a few moments to focus on the title. " _No Rest For The Wicked_... Hey is this--?"

"Advance copy! I know you don't really read my books, but--"

"Oh my god," Sam's voice cut through the tension in the air between Cas and Dean with all the grace of a charging rhino. "Is that the new Carver Edlund book? Dean has such a brain- boner for that guy."

Dean just choked on his whiskey, eyes darting between Cas, his brother, and the book on the table before finally deciding that his glass was the safest place to focus. He took a deep gulp to wet his suddenly dry tongue and began to tug and tear at the edges of the cardboard coaster, hoping that Sam might shut the hell up soon. No such luck.

"I had to talk him out of getting one of those 'devil trap' things tattooed on his chest when the last book came out, but he still basically has a shrine to the guy in his house. A whole shelf dedicated to him!"

Eyes wide, Ruby jabbed her elbow into Sam's ribs.

"Ow! Ruby what was that for? Anyway, there's that one hunter character? Johnny or Jimmy or something. Dean was basically in love with him in undergrad. He actually bought that trench coat online. Used to wear it on dates. Something about channeling the sexy hunter-boy's sexiness. It was just like the one you are wearing! Are you a fan too?"

He trailed off as he finally noticed the mood around the table. "I'm just saying its a good present is all..." Silence fell around the table.

"Umm, Sammy?" Ruby inclined her head towards Cas. "Meet Carver Edlund. Dean has been helping him research for his next book. Well, the one after this, I suppose."

The blood drained out of Sam's face. "Oh. You're... Oh."

Cas was squinting at Dean, who had slouched deep into his seat, stubbornly refusing to look away from the shredded coaster in his hands. "Dean...?"

"Shots!" Ruby called. She grabbed a fistful of Sam's shirt and dragged him out of the booth with a power disproportionate to her small frame. "Come on, Sammy. Let's go. Shot time. Yay shots." She shot an apologetic glance between Dean and Cas before yanking Sam after her to the bar.

Cas watched them flee, the crease between his eyebrows deepening. "Dean, I'm afraid I don't understand what just happened."

"Well..." Dean sighed. His eyes seemed to slide away from Cas's bright stare, seeking an exit, an escape, a distraction. ANYTHING. "I'm going to go get some air!" His voice was slightly too loud and his smile forced. He grabbed his glass and threw back the rest of his whiskey, shuddering as it burned its way down his throat, before marching away. Cas stared after him as he wove through the crowded bar and out the back door.

"Well?" Ruby's soft question startled Cas, who looked over at her with wide eyes. He hadn't noticed her return. "Are you going after him or not?"

"Ruby? Will you please tell me what just happened?"

"You and Dean have to be the most dense pair of idiots I have ever met."

“That doesn’t exactly answer my question,” Cas grumbled down at the table. "So... He likes my books?" He glared down at the little piled of shredded coasters Dean had left behind. "Do did he... When we met... Did he know-?"

Ruby sighed and settled in across from Cas, casually sliding Dean’s jacket across the table.

"It’s cold out there. Go make sure he hasn't passed out."

Cas gnawed on his lip, eyes pulled back in the direction Dean had fled. After a few moments he squared his shoulders and nodded, more in summation of some internal argument than to what Ruby had said. Without another look at Ruby he grabbed Dean's leather jacket, cradling it close to his chest as he followed Dean’s winding path through the crowd.

* * *

 

Cas found Dean alone on the small back patio, shivering slightly as he softly exhaled smoke into the cold night air. Cas stopped for a moment, admiring the delicate curve of Dean's throat. The patio was abandoned; the December air was far to chilly to tempt people outside, no matter how much they were craving a smoke. Yet there was Dean, hunched against the wall, shivering in nothing but a faded AC/DC t-shirt and jeans.

"You are cold." Cas growled, holding Dean's coat out stiffly. 

Dean jumped, wavering slightly on unsteady feet. "Cas?"

Cas sighed. “Just take the damn coat, Dean.”

An uncomfortable silence fell between them after Dean pulled on his jacket, broken only by the ragged sound of Dean’s breath as he exhaled smoke into the sky.

“I didn’t know you smoked.” Cas ventured.

“Just another thing I’ve been lying about I guess.” Dean spat back, with all too much sarcasm in his voice.

Cas suddenly fisted his hands in Dean’s collar and shoved him against the wall, effectively shocking him out of his bitter shame-spiral. The cigarette fell forgotten from his fingers.

Cas’s face was so close, contorted by anger and betrayal. Dean could feel the soft pant of other man's breath on his lips; he instinctively licked his own. “Dean Winchester.” Cas's voice was fierce but quiet; Dean could feel it reverberating through his bones. “Has this all been some kind of joke to you?”

Dean gripped weakly at Cas’s wrists. “No... It was--”

"So what, some kind of game? 'Hey look at the stupid author! I wonder how desperate he is!' Or were you just trying to get close so you could find out what’s happening in future books. Well mission accomplished! I hope whatever blog you sell it to pays well!"

"Wha? Cas, no!"

"So what the hell else am I supposed to think?" Cas's voice was barely more than a growl.

"Damnit Cas! I just didn't want you to hate me!" Dean gave one resolute shove against Cas’s chest, making him stumble several steps back and release his grip on Dean. “You think some nerdy dude with a backpack wanders into my cafe and I immediately think it’s my favorite fucking author? For fucksake, there isn’t even a picture of you on wikipedia! How the hell was I supposed to know what you look like?”

“Oh. Right.” Cas shifted uncertainly on his feet. He had no delusions about how famous he was; his books were cult hits, and barely that. But he had asked his publisher to try to keep his photos out of the media. “So you didnt--?”

Dean wobbled and slid down the wall, suddenly struggling to stand without Cas’s hold on him. He rested his forehead on his knees. “I swear, all I knew was that you were Cas and you were... I wanted to be your... friend.”

Cas knealt beside him. He hesitantly reached out, gently gripping the nape of Dean's neck. "Are you okay?"

"You’re the one who complicated things by being all smart and writerly. With your dumb tie and stupid trench coat" Deans voice was muffled and slurred.

"Dean."

Dead finally looked imploringly into his eyes. "I don't feel so hot."

Cas chuckled softly at the absurdity of it all and rested his forehead against Dean's, suddenly depleted of all energy. "How much did you have to drink? Come on. I'll drive you home."

* * *

 

"So uhh... Should we go check on them?"

Ruby snorted into her glass. "Sammy, Cas basically carried Dean out the door and shoved him in his car like an hour ago."

"Oh. _Oooh_. Wow. So mission accomplished?”

She laughed and clinked her bottle against his. “Our work here is done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a really long time since I updated. To make a very long complicated story short, I met a boy. While he wasn’t exactly abusive, without going too far into the situation let’s just say that the details of our relationship completely shattered me emotionally. Not really the best “fluffy destiel coffeeshop AU” writing mood. But hey, 6 months later I finally grew a backbone and dumped his ass, so I’ve spent the last month remembering how to be happy and creative. I can’t promise how regular updates are going to be now. I just got a new job and will be working full time. Plus I will be studying for my paralegal certification, but writing makes me happy. I’m still not quite emotionally there to really start on any of the original work that I have in mind, but writing Destiel is fun. It’s a really good way to unwind at the end of the day while still working on a skill that means a lot to me. Anyway. It’s been an interesting few months and whoever is still around waiting for updates, I want to thank you for liking my little story so much. I never gave up on you guys, and the comments I have received over the past few months made me so happy. It means a lot and I’ll try not to let you down.
> 
> Actual Notes About This Chapter:  
> This is likely to be as angsty and dramatic as I get. I would much rather focus on the UST and fluffly love crap (plus I still don't feel like I did the argument very well), but I had to get the secrets out of the way before I was comfortable with the boys getting together, so there you go. Cas takes care of Drunk Dean next chapter! I don't know how much longer after the next chapter I'm gonna be able to keep the boys apart. Sometime very soon I'm gonna have to let them kiss.
> 
> The rules for toasts are the ones I learned in grad school. The eye contact one was used largely to exacerbate already abundant sexual tension between certain members of our group. Basically just another excuse to eye-fuck in polite company, so who would it fit better than Dean and Cas (the world renowned champions of eyefucking?) As Cas said, from the moment you clink glasses, until you swallow you are not allowed to break eye contact. The “no dry cheers” rule is a more standard “If you cheers, you have to drink otherwise it’s rude.”
> 
> Also, before anyone worries about Cas drunkenly driving Dean home, I'm pretty sure I only wrote Cas having one drink as soon as he got there, and at least an hour passed in the meantime. He's fine.
> 
> Also, we will eventually get in to Ruby and Sam's pasts. I just think they should know each other better before they go spilling their deep dark histories all over the place.
> 
> EDIT 5/20/14: I changed the book title from"Swan Song" to "No Rest For The Wicked." I forgot that I want Cas's books to follow as a sort of "Hunter Cas, Angel Dean" AU, and the angels aren't supposed to have been introduced yet in Cas's books (Spoiler Alert: Cas is going to base the angel character on Dean). So I moved the book's plot back a season. Sorry for any confusion!


	11. I Want to Kiss You

Dean was curled up half asleep in the passenger seat of Cas’s beat-up little car as Cas steered them back to Dean’s place. He had never been there before, and Dean was barely coherent as he led him through the bar and out to the parking lot, but fortunately Ruby had come to the rescue. At least, Cas was pretty sure it was meant to be a rescue. Just when Cas had shoved Dean into the car and began to wonder if he should just let Dean sleep it off at his couch, his phone lit up with a message from the small brunette. It merely listed Dean’s address, followed by what appeared to be a winky face. The winky face was what concerned Cas. 

Cas pulled up carefully behind Baby and reached over to shake Dean awake.

“Wha?” 

“We’re here. Come on.” 

“Mmkay Cassie.” Dean smiled sleepily and followed Cas up the steps to his door. He was wobbly and confused, but his short nap seemed to have sobered him up a little. _At least he appears to be speaking english again._

After a short tussle at the door, where Dean was unable to get his keys to fit in the lock, but stubbornly refused to let Cas try, they managed to push their way inside. Dean was laughing as he stumbled down the hall, half dragging Cas behind him. They both collapsed laughing onto the couch.

“How are you feeling, Dean?” Cas asked once he had caught his breath.

Dean chuckled and nudged himself closer to Cas. “Better. Fresh air usually cures the spins.” He grinned. “How are you?”

Cas smiled down at him, almost shy. “I’m good.”

“Welcome to my home!” Dean made a wild gesture around the room before falling back and plopping his head on the other man’s lap. “That’s the kitchen, Sammy’s room is back there, and my room is that door over there.” He pointed at each location before grinning dazedly up at Cas. “Are you tired?”

“No. Thank you, but I am quite awake.” Their eyes held for long moments as they smiled fondly at each other. Timidly, Cas slowly tangled one of his hands in Dean’s hair, rubbing softly through the short strands. Dean sighed contentedly, repositioning his head to give Cas more room.

“If you stop, I swear to god I will shoot you.”

Cas laughed and unceremoniously shoved Dean’s head off his lap. Off balance, Dean fell off the couch with a yelp and loud thump. 

“Son of a bitch!”

Cas just dodged Dean’s grasp and moved to the kitchen. “I was promised a night of drinking, then got stuck taking care of your sorry ass! Can I have a beer?”

Dean let his head fall back against the floor, accepting his fate on the ground. “Help yourself. Bring me one?”

“Not a chance.” Cas chuckled as he inspected the refrigerator. It was weirdly empty of food, aside from a few chinese food containers which should probably have biohazard labels on them and a half empty 12 pack of imported beer. “Jesus, what do you even eat?”

“Im a grad student, man.” Dean had managed to crawl halfway back onto the couch, and his voice was muffled from where his face was squished against the cushions. “I eat coffee and take out.”

“You are going to die of dysentery.”

“This isn’t Oregan Trail.”

“You can’t live like this.”

“Watch me.”

Cas scowled, finally pulling his head out of the refrigerator to glance over at Dean. When he saw Dean splayed over half of the couch, one leg resting on the coffee table and face contorted from being squished onto the armrest, he smirked. “You are an idiot.”

“Takes one to know one, angel face.”

Cas rolled his eyes. He shoved a giant glass of water under Dean’s nose when he returned to the couch. “Drink this and you will thank me later.”

“My hero!” Dean sat up clumsily, smiling wide and ruffling his fingers through Cas’s already messy hair in thanks before accepting the water and chugging it down.

Silence fell between them for a few moments. Cas was trying not to focus on Dean’s legs splayed out on either side of him on the couch, or the way the muscles in his neck moved as he drank. He clasped his hands together around his beer, trying to ignore the inexplicable itch in his fingertips that was telling him to reach out. Grab. Touch.

“Thanks for bringing me home, Cas.” 

Cas’s lips twitched, and he bought a moment by taking a sip of his beer. “No problem Dean. Not like I could just leave you there.”

“Yeah. You easily could have.” Dean put his glass aside and sat up. His movements were slow and a little clumsy, but his eyes were clear as he reached out and cupped Cas’s cheek in his palm. “You were so angry, and I’ve been lying to you about so much...” He trailed off, a sad look in his eyes as he traced the outline of Cas’s jaw with his fingertips. “I was sure you would hate me.” 

“Dean...” Cas reached up, taking Dean’s hand in his own. “I don’t think I could hate you if I tried.” He fought the urge to press Dean’s knuckles to his lips, content to simply trace his fingers over them, attempting to memorize the feel of skin on skin. He looked up and his breath caught in his throat. Dean was so close, hand entwined with Cas’s. He could almost feel the caress of his eyes as they traced from his neck to his lips.

“So you’re a Carver Edlund fan, huh?” Cas’s voice was too loud, bubbling out of his throat almost in panic. Dean pulled back slightly, the flash of disappointment in his eyes quickly replaced by a grin. “Is that gonna be a problem?” Cas just chuckled and took another deep draft of his beer.

Dean’s grin widened, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I don’t think you really know what you’ve gotten yourself into.” He jerked his head towards the bedroom. “Come on.”

Cas’s brows knit together in confusion as he watched Dean stumble through the door. He rose hesitantly, finished the dregs of his beer, took a deep breath. He peeled off his trench coat and tossed haphazardly on the couch before following.

When Cas walked in, Dean was standing by his bookshelf, nervously shifting from foot to foot. Cas glanced around, taking in the space. There were books and papers strewn over almost everything, and a large whiteboard tacked up on the wall. Cas had to fight back a grin when he noticed that half of the whiteboard was covered with charts and graphs related Cas’s new book. The diagrams listed out the main plot points the two had discussed, all scratched out in Dean’s messy handwriting.

Cas turned to look at the broken and beat-up spines of his novels lining the shelf. He reached out almost reverently to pull the most recent publication off the shelf. “Is this some kind of Misery thing?” he asked, breaking the heavy silence.

“What?”

“Like... I’m not going to end up tied to your bed, am I?”

“Well if you play your cards right...” Dean finally relaxed and sat on the edge of his bed with a laugh. “I am your number one fan.” He quoted. “There is nothing to worry about. You are going to be just fine. I am your number one fan.”

Cas snorted and settled in to the computer chair at Dean’s desk. “Somehow I find that less than reassuring.” He reached up to loosen his tie as he flipped through the worn pages of _Jus In Bello_. He smiled fondly at Dean’s handwriting scratched in the margins of the book, and the little quotes that were underlined in pencil. “How many times have you read these?”

Dean winced. “I don’t think either of us really want to know that. Fortunately, I lost count.” 

Cas chuckled and turned to carefully place the book on Dean’s desk. “Well you have Carver Edlund himself in your grasp. Have all your dreams come true?”

Dean stared at Cas for a moment, the wicked gleam in his eyes melting into something sad but determined. “Come here.” Dean grabbed Cas’s chair by the armrest and rolled it closer to the bed. Cas let himself be pulled, close enough that his knees were framed by Dean’s where he sat on the bed. “You aren’t here because you are Carver Edlund. Trust me, that has been nothing but a happy complication since you first told me.” He braced his hands on the author’s shoulders, beaming at him from mere inches away. “I’m so happy that I got to meet you. Castiel Novak: the nerd with the angel name, coffee addiction, and messy hair.” He ran his fingers gently through Cas’s dark locks to illustrate his point. “Being Carver Edlund’s research assistant? That’s just a little bonus.”

Cas could feel the heat in his cheeks, feeling breathless suddenly. _Have I ever seen him smile at me like that?_ His own hands gripped Dean’s knees, fingers flexing around the rough denim. _When did that happen?_ “You... You are much more than my... assistant.”

Dean gradually shifted his hand to the back of Cas’s neck, pulling him forward until their foreheads gently rested together. “So we’re... friends?”

Cas scarcely dared to breathe. His mouth was suddenly dry and his head was spinning in a way he couldn’t quite blame on the beer. “Friends... Yes. We are... friends.”

Dean sighed tangled his fingers in Cas’s hair, gently pulling him back to look him in the eyes. “I want to kiss you, Cas.”

Cas made a wounded noise, somewhere between a moan and a sigh as his fingers flexed harder around Dean’s knees. “I want to do much more than kiss you, Dean.” The words poured out of him as he ran his fingers up Dean’s thighs, coming to gip his hips with bruising intensity. His eyes were fixed in equal force on Dean’s lips.

“Why don’t you?” Dean reached up slowly, as if giving Cas the opportunity to resist, and wrapped his fingers around Cas’s tie. He fell back on the bed, softly tugging Cas on top of him. Cas allowed himself to be led, crawling up onto the bed to straddle the taller man’s hips. His elbows braced on either side of Dean’s head, their faces were so close together that the tips of their noses brushed with the rise and fall of each breath.

Both men were panting softly into the silence of the apartment, betraying the effort behind their achingly slow movements. Cas hovered just out of reach of Dean’s lips, but neither moved to close the distance. He shuddered as Dean ran his fingertips up the backs of his thighs, fingernails lightly rasping against the fabric until he found a line of warm flesh just above his belt. Cas’s shirt must have gotten untucked at some point in the evening, but feeling Dean rubbing soft circles into his lower back, Cas wasn’t about to complain. 

“God Cas, why is this the first time I’ve touched you?” Dean groaned as he flexed his fingertips. He giddily wondered if his prints would be left behind in the gentle slope of Cas’s skin, like a handprint in wet cement. Curious, he raked his nails in an arc from the small  dimples at the base of Cas’s spine and over the crest of his hipbones, before coming to rest just below his bellybutton. Cas arched into his touch with a hiss, trembling softly as Dean tickled his way up Cas’s stomach, undoing his shirt one button at a time.

After the last button was undone and his tie thrown unceremoniously across the room, they both stopped, breathing hard and staring at each other. Cas had pushed himself up, still straddling Dean’s hips but his hands tugged at the hem of his shirt, itching to explore the skin beneath it. Dean took a moment to drag his eyes across the planes of Cas’s chest and stomach, framed by the billowing shirt which still hung loose around his shoulders.

Cas smoothed his fingers through Dean’s hair, distracting his gaze from Cas’s naked chest to his eyes. He slowly brushed his thumb along Dean’s lower lip, eyes intent on the action. Dean unconsciously chased the taste of him with his tongue. Cas made the wounded sound again, squeezing his eyes shut and lowering his forehead to Dean’s. “You are killing me, Winchester.”

“Oh really, Novak?” Dean chuckled softly and leaned forward, pulling his t-shirt over his head in one smooth motion before collapsing back onto the bed. He pulled Cas back down with him, both gasping softly at the new sensation of skin against skin. His hands resumed the slow spirals he had been tracing on Cas’s back, pressing the other man firmly against his chest and turning his head to nuzzle against Cas’s neck. 

Cas bunched his hands in the sheets on either side of Dean’s head, biting down on his lower lip and clenching his eyes shut as if he were in pain. “Absolute murder.”

Dean simply laughed in response, a low rumble in his chest as he pulled pushed the shirt further down Cas’s arms, palms sliding across bare shoulders and biceps until the shirt was forgotten among the clothing already on the floor. Cas was unable to stop himself from rolling his hips, cautiously brushing his own erection against Dean’s. Dean’s eyes rolled back in his head as he gave a low moan. He slipped his hands lower to cup Cas’s ass, pressing the smaller man close and grinding up against him.

Cas’s body suddenly went stiff. He grabbed Dean by the wrists, pinning his hands over his head before pulling away. “I can’t do this, Dean.”

Dean felt his blood freeze. He opened his mouth, worried that he had pushed the other man too far and ready to let fly a stream of apologies. But a soft moan was all that escaped as he felt the ghost of Cas’s breath on his neck. Dean let Cas nuzzle his head to the side, delighting in the scratch of Cas’s stubble against the crook of his own jaw, before Cas moved his lips to hover just above Dean’s ear. He took one achingly slow breath, breathing Dean in, eyes hooded and dark. His fingers tightened around Dean’s wrists and his lips grazed over the sensitive skin of his earlobe as he whispered, “When we do this, you will be sober, and you will remember every fucking second of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in two days after like 8 months of nothing? HOW IS IT POSSIBLE! It helps that this was probably one of the absolute easiest chapters I have ever written. Like writers block just died and this happened.
> 
> So this chapter was basically an exercise in how much sexual tension I could force into one scene, and whether or not I could write something close to porn without nudity, actual sex, or even kissing. In my real life experience of UST, it doesn’t resolve in a big bang of action and orgasms, but slow, timid and careful. With that much history of simply WANTING the fear of fucking it up is so immense that every little touch feels like a victory. And Cas doesn’t want to potentially ruin anything by letting it start while Dean is drunk, and even drunk, Dean doesn’t want to make it go to fast or push Cas. Drunk sex is fun and exciting and just an overall good time. I am sure Dean and Cas will indulge in it someday, but that’s not how a relationship like theirs (in this story at least) should start. Particularly not when only one of them is drunk. Consent and respect are sexy.
> 
> Also, not even gonna lie, my motto in writing this has always been “If it seems a good time to let them kiss, put it off another chapter.” I’m pretty sure they will actually get together next time though. Can’t put it off a whole lot more after some minor dry humping and Cas basically saying “I’m gonna fuck you so good when you are sober.”
> 
> I also thought about stretching this chapter out until the next morning, but hey, I like the cliffhanger :) Enjoy! Definitely letting them have their first kiss next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Oddly enough, at 23 this is my first time writing fanficion. I'm horrifically out of practice in creative writing and trying to get back into it, thus practicing with fanfic at first. Anyway, I love coffee shop au's, and I love Dean and Cas, so I figured I would start a slow build fic about the two of them. I hope you people like it, even though this first chapter is pretty cliche. There are only so many ways that people can meet in a coffee shop, am I right?  
> Anyhow, I have no real idea where this is going, but the boys have met now and we all know that love will be in the air eventually and it will be fluffy and adorable. Maybe even sexy. Who knows. Some eventual Ruby/Sam is definitely in the works, though.


End file.
